North Carolina counties are preparing to take on an estimated $52 million in additional administrative costs tied to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) as federal funding for the food-stamp program declines. SNAP serves roughly 1.4 million people across the state.

Impact on County Governments

County governments in North Carolina could see their share of the cost grow by about 32% to $69 million annually, according to officials. The state and federal government used to split the cost of the program, but beginning in October, the federal reimbursement rate for administrative expenses will decrease from 50% to 25%, meaning states will be responsible for three-quarters of the cost of running the program.

Andrew Blackburn, the government relations manager for the North Carolina Association of County Commissioners, said he spent months asking the General Assembly to provide funding to help cover the added costs to prevent counties from having to take money out of local services such as garbage and leaf removal.

Leaders of larger counties, such as Wake, wonder how they will continue to cover the additional costs while maintaining services residents rely on. Don Mial, chair of the Wake County Board of Commissioners, said, “We’re going to ensure that we continue to do everything we can to provide those services for the people of Wake County.”

State Budget and SNAP Funding

The state budget does include funding for several SNAP-related improvements, including $70,943 in ongoing funding to update the NC FAST benefits eligibility system to implement federal SNAP changes and help reduce payment errors. It also provides $2.5 million in one-time funding to modernize NC FAST, including artificial intelligence-assisted eligibility tools and error screening.

Original reporting: WRAL Raleigh — read the source article.