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County staff urge protection of SNAP and Medicaid expansion; board approves consent agenda including support letters
Summary
Durham County social services and public-health staff presented data on SNAP participation and Medicaid expansion enrollment and urged commissioners to oppose federal cuts; the board approved the consent agenda and commissioners asked staff to send support letters to federal and state delegations.
Durham County staff used the May 12 meeting to press commissioners to oppose proposed cuts to SNAP benefits and to protect Medicaid expansion implemented in North Carolina in late 2023.
Rena Goldstein Benug, the county—s food-security coordinator, described SNAP as the county—s largest federal nutrition program and said proposed federal cuts would be devastating for residents and for local jobs. Latoya Chambers, assistant director for the Family Economic Independence Division at Durham County Social Services (which administers SNAP/FNS), said that as of May the county had nearly 35,000 Food and Nutrition Services participants representing about 17,563 households. Chambers said roughly 90% of Durham households on SNAP receive between $50 and $400 a month in allotments and noted the program—s role in stabilizing families while they manage other household expenses.
Kelly Warnock of Durham County Department of Public Health highlighted economic and health ripples from SNAP reductions, saying each dollar spent on SNAP generates $1.50 to $1.80 in local economic activity and that SNAP spending at county farmers markets totaled roughly $70,000. Warnock cited a study finding substantial Medicaid-cost savings for older adults who receive SNAP.
Separately, staff described Medicaid expansion enrollment numbers and urged protection of the program. County staff reported that, statewide, about 650,000 people are enrolled in Medicaid expansion; in Durham County staff said roughly 17,000 people were enrolled as of the first of the month (the county had anticipated about 22,000). County program staff recounted client stories of care enabled by expansion and warned of downstream increases in uncompensated care and emergency-room use if expansion funding were reduced.
Commissioner Jacobs asked staff to prepare support letters for SNAP and Medicaid expansion and to send the letters to the county—s federal delegation (noted in discussion as Senators and the U.S. Representative) and to the state delegation and advocacy partners. The consent agenda (which included support letters) was approved during the meeting; Commissioners Valentine and Vice Chair Dr. Lee moved and seconded the consent agenda approval.
Speakers asked the public to contact federal legislators immediately; county staff emphasized that local governments cannot fully replace lost federal nutrition or health coverage funding and that cuts would have broad ripple effects across schools, health-care providers, and food suppliers.
