Monroe County could face an estimated $3 million in additional annual costs to administer the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program as a federal funding change takes effect Oct. 1, Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand said at a Rochester news conference.
The change would reduce the federal share of SNAP administrative expenses from 50% to 25%, leaving state and local governments to cover the remaining 75%, according to Gillibrand's office. It estimates the additional cost to counties across New York at $168 million a year.
That estimate concerns the cost of running the program, including work handled by counties. It does not itself establish a reduction in an eligible household's food benefit. Nearly 100,000 Monroe County residents use SNAP each month, the senator's office said, making the county's ability to process applications and maintain service a practical concern.
County Executive Adam Bello said Monroe County will continue to ensure eligible residents receive their benefits. He warned that money spent replacing the federal administrative contribution would no longer be available for other local services and investments.
Gillibrand's office said counties could have to raise local taxes or slow the review of SNAP applications if they do not receive additional federal support. Those are potential consequences described by the senator, not decisions announced by Monroe County.
The shift is part of a broader federal law that Gillibrand opposes. At the news conference, she criticized the Trump administration's priorities and argued that the federal government should not place more SNAP costs on states and counties. The release did not identify a separate county tax proposal or a change in Monroe County eligibility rules.
Tracey Harrison, a vice president of 1199SEIU for the Rochester and Corning area, joined the call to protect food assistance. She described the effects of food insecurity on children, older adults and working families and urged the restoration of SNAP support.
Gillibrand has also backed the Closing the Meal Gap Act and the Enhanced Cybersecurity for SNAP Act, according to her office. The immediate administrative funding change is scheduled for Oct. 1; how New York and individual counties will cover the added expense was not specified in the announcement.
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