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HHS directors warn of $700K-plus budget gap as federal and state shifts increase workload
Summary
Health & Human Services leadership told the board they face a roughly $707,000 gap between revenue and expenses for 2026 and warned that federal SNAP and Medicaid administrative changes and state child-protection reforms could worsen the county's position in 2027.
Kelly (county finance staff) and HHS Director Becky presented the department's 2026 budget and warned of a structural shortfall the department is projecting.
Becky told commissioners the gap between projected revenue and expenses across Income Maintenance, Social Services and Public Health is about $707,000 for 2026. She said that amount aligns with an earlier management estimate that the department would need roughly $750,000 to reach a zero gap after removing reserves used in 2025.
A central cause, Becky said, is falling revenue allocations combined with rising administrative requirements. She flagged two policy shifts: a SNAP administrative cost shift that will hit federal fiscal year 2027 (which starts Oct. 1, 2026) and changes to Medicaid/SNAP verification that increase…
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