Starting Thursday, October 1, a federal funding change takes effect that will land hard on North Country county budgets — and on the neighbors who rely on food assistance.
Here's what changed, plainly: for decades, the federal government and New York's counties split the administrative costs of SNAP (the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program) evenly, 50/50. Starting this month, the federal share drops to 25%, and counties have to cover 75%. That's an additional $168 million per year in administrative costs across New York — and New York is one of only three states (with New Jersey and North Carolina) where counties cover the entire non-federal share in the first place.
The local numbers:
- Jefferson County faces over $1 million in new costs in the coming years.
- St. Lawrence County expects an extra $776,000 hit, rising to a million the following year — and its social services commissioner expects 600 county residents to lose SNAP eligibility.
- Lewis County and other rural counties face unbudgeted hits of their own, and county officials across the North Country say they can't afford it.
St. Lawrence County's commissioner of social services, Joseph Seeber, put it this way: take $776,000 out of a big-city budget and it's not a big deal — take it from a rural county, and "we really have to scramble to figure things out." He warned that local taxpayers will ultimately foot the bill, which means property taxes could climb. "It's going to be very difficult in the future years, and each year I believe it's going to get worse exponentially."
There's another shoe waiting to drop: starting in October 2027, the federal government plans to penalize states with high error rates in distributing food stamps. New York's error rate is 13%; Washington wants 6%. That penalty could cost the state an estimated $1 billion — shared across all counties. It's worth knowing that county officials dispute the framing behind this: the administration says the cuts target fraud, but the New York State Association of Counties' Stephen Acquario says errors are often honest mistakes — a missed wage report from a part-time diner shift, not a scheme.
Meanwhile, the human side is already visible. Food insecurity has shot up by about 14% since last year in many North Country counties, driven by inflation in groceries, electricity, gas, and utilities. Food pantries are feeling it — the Canton Neighborhood Center and the Urban Mission's food pantry in Watertown are already seeing higher demand from people losing benefits.
What should you do?
- If you receive SNAP or think you might qualify: contact your county's Department of Social Services to check your status and make sure your paperwork is current. Don't assume — ask. On a phone, tap a number to call:
- Jefferson County DSS: <a href="tel:+13157829030">(315) 782-9030</a>
- Lewis County DSS: <a href="tel:+13153765400">(315) 376-5400</a>
- St. Lawrence County DSS: <a href="tel:+13153792111">(315) 379-2111</a>
- If you're struggling with groceries: local food pantries and neighborhood centers are the safety net right now, and they know the application process.
- If you can give: this is the moment pantries need donations of food, money, and volunteer hours most.
The county association is pushing the state for financial relief and asking Congress for a two-year delay on the shift. Neither effort has succeeded so far. This one is going to play out in county budget meetings for years — we'll be watching.