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Benton County begins 2027 budget process, flags potential SNAP cost hit
Summary
County administrators presented a draft budget calendar and cautioned that state and federal changes to SNAP could expose Benton County to a preliminary estimated $750,000 cost in 2028; commissioners approved the calendar subject to change and asked staff to refine estimates.
Benton County commissioners on June 2 adopted a calendar and guidelines to begin the 2027 budget process while warning that changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) could create a significant unplanned expense in 2028.
"The number I saw for us was about 750,000," Monty, the county administrator, told the board when describing preliminary material from the Association of Minnesota Counties and other sources. He emphasized the figure is "extremely preliminary" and urged caution in relying on it.
Monty presented recommended dates for budget presentations—typically a full day and a half day in August—and discussed options for adopting the proposed levy in September, including holding a short special meeting if regular dates conflicted with commissioners' schedules. He said administration will meet with finance staff next week to clarify both one-time and ongoing impacts of state legislative changes.
Commissioners debated whether to prepare for a potential SNAP-related cost by increasing reserves or by levying in 2027. "It is a tough call, but, man, that bite of the apple on '28, if we don't do something, that's even scarier," one commissioner said, urging caution about the longer-term risk.
Monty also reported a separate estimate that the county could lose about $240,000 in one-time administrative funding, and reiterated that both figures were subject to change depending on final state allocations and legislative actions.
The board moved to adopt the budget calendar and guidelines as presented, with the motion noted as "subject to change" to accommodate individual schedules and future information. The motion passed by voice vote.
Next steps: county administration will meet with finance staff to refine the SNAP exposure analysis and return with updated numbers for commissioners to consider during upcoming budget presentations in August.
