Public Fiduciary warns 'big bad' bill and benefit changes are straining county guardianship services
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Summary
Coconino County’s Public Fiduciary reported a caseload of 133 clients and described how recent state and federal policy changes are complicating Medicaid and SNAP redeterminations, increasing staff work, and threatening housing stability for wards; supervisors asked for talking points and leave-behind materials for federal and state advocacy.
Coconino County’s Public Fiduciary (introduced at the meeting as Fiduciary Stominski) briefed the Board of Supervisors on Feb. 17 about the office’s caseload, operations, and the consequences of recent state and federal changes to benefit programs.
The office reported managing 133 clients, with case administrators handling caseloads of roughly 32–35 clients each. The fiduciary described placement challenges—especially for clients who are developmentally disabled or seriously mentally ill—and noted that specialized providers have moved out of-county in past years, constraining local placement options.
The fiduciary said recent policy changes (discussed in the meeting as the 'big beautiful' bill; supervisors later referred to it as the 'big bad' bill) have tightened eligibility calculations, increased documentation requirements, and in some cases shortened redetermination cycles (from annual to six-month reviews). The changes are causing longer lead times and administrative burdens from partner agencies such as DES and Social Security, which the fiduciary said now require more in-person visits and produce longer waits for approvals. As a result, clients have experienced interruptions in SNAP benefits and other entitlements; the fiduciary said about 14 wards lost SNAP during last year’s shutdown and one client went without SNAP for more than a month while waiting for redetermination.
The fiduciary also raised alarm about Section 8 housing being shifted to the state and reportedly capped at two years, leaving uncertain long-term housing options for wards who rely on subsidized housing. The office’s user-fee study showed the fiduciary recoups only a small portion of its operating costs (roughly $150,000 in revenue against a budget near $1.5 million) and that administrative workload increases will widen that deficit.
Supervisors responded with concern and asked county staff to prepare leave-behind materials and talking points for upcoming NACo meetings and state engagement. They emphasized county advocacy to oppose or seek fixes to the policy changes and pressed for coordination with other counties and the state to seek systemic solutions.
