WATERTOWN, New York (WWNY) – Counties across New York are bracing for major changes in how the federal government funds the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, or SNAP. Counties will now have to cover three-fourths of the cost, rather than half.<\/p>\n
More than 14,000 Jefferson County residents pay with food stamps at grocery stores.<\/p>\n
\u201cAdministering that program is a pretty heavy lift,\u201d said Ryan Piche, Jefferson County administrator.<\/p>\n
Jefferson County impact<\/p>\n
The county is expecting to spend an extra $300,000 every quarter on SNAP.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe already have budgeted $300,000 for 2026,\u201d Piche said. \u201cFor 2027, that means we have to account for well over a million dollars.\u201d<\/p>\n
Other counties affected<\/p>\n
According to the New York State Association of Counties, St. Lawrence County will see a nearly $800,000 increase in costs. Lewis County will see more than $300,000 for its roughly 2,500 recipients.<\/p>\n
\u201c$300,000 doesn\u2019t sound like a lot, but in our world, that\u2019s three employees. So it\u2019s significant,\u201d said Tim Hunt, Lewis County manager.<\/p>\n
The costs come on top of additional labor needed to enforce stricter guidelines on who is eligible. That began in March.<\/p>\n
\u201cOur labor is going up, and our reimbursement is going down,\u201d Hunt said.<\/p>\n
Statewide cost shift<\/p>\n
Statewide, the changes, part of President Donald Trump\u2019s One Big Beautiful Bill Act signed last summer, will shift $168 million in costs to counties.<\/p>\n
New York is one of 10 states in the country where counties themselves implement SNAP, not the state.<\/p>\n
\u201cSome of these cuts in Washington, they sound good, but really they\u2019re just cost shifts, and this is the most perfect example,\u201d Piche said. \u201cIt\u2019s just purely a cost shift from the federal government to the local government.\u201d<\/p>\n
The shift in cost is scheduled to begin Oct. 1.<\/p>\n
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