Greene County staff warns SNAP changes could shift $1.4 million in costs to county, affect hundreds of recipients

A County Services staff member told the Greene County Legislature on Tuesday that recent federal and state changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and related benefits will shift some costs and administrative burdens to the county beginning in October 2027.

The staff member said the county is projecting an initial local cost of about $1,400,000 starting in October 2027 and an increase in county administrative spending of $245,129. “We’re all gonna have a little skin in the game,” the staff member said, summarizing the changes announced in recent legislation and federal guidance.

Why it matters: the changes could affect county budgeting for social services and the eligibility of current SNAP recipients. County staff said there are currently about 3,680 SNAP recipients in Greene County. Based on the staff’s analysis, 281 recipients fall into categories that will be newly subject to proposed work requirements (adults 18–64 without children in the household and adults 18–64 with a child age 14 or older). Staff emphasized uncertainty about who will ultimately “fall out” of eligibility under the new rules.

Staff described three specific changes: (1) a shift from fully federally funded staff benefits toward a local contribution that will begin in October 2027; (2) an increase in the county share of administrative costs from 50% toward 75%, producing the $245,129 estimated increase; and (3) the reinstatement or tightening of work requirements for able-bodied adults without dependents and for adults with older children, with exemptions such as homelessness and veteran status likely narrower in SNAP than in Medicaid. “There’s 3,680 recipients, so the new requirements are gonna impact 281,” the staff member said.

Questions from legislators focused on whether eligibility counts would fall as a result of the work requirements and how exemptions would be handled. The staff member said some exemptions that remain in Medicaid will not necessarily carry over to SNAP and that more details will be available as the county completes its analysis. “I do not know who’s gonna fall out,” the staff member said when asked whether specific groups would lose eligibility.

Staff said the county has not yet budgeted to cover the full projected amounts and that the figures will be included in the 2027 budget process. The staff member also told legislators that a fuller analysis of related Medicaid changes will be provided at the next meeting.

The Legislature did not take action on benefits policy at the meeting; staff said further analysis and budget updates would be brought forward during the county’s normal budget cycle.