Schumer, Orleans County officials speak out about cuts in SNAP, cost shift from federal government

Orleans County could see $400K increase in administering SNAP in 2027

Photos by Tom Rivers: U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer speaks at the Eastern Orleans Community Center on Thursday, when he highlighted the impact on cost shifts in the SNAP program. The federal government will shift administration to some states, such as New York and its 62 counties, while other “red states” don’t face the same costly scenario, Schumer said. Pictured from left include Whitley Hasty, benefits navigation manager for Foodlink; Charles Schumer, the U.S. Senate minority leader; Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature chairwoman; and Renee Hungerford, executive director of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.

HOLLEY – U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer is deeply concerned about changes in the SNAP program proposed by the Trump Administration, which he said will result in less food for people in need and higher administration costs for “blue states” such as New York, driving up costs for the state and the 62 counties.

Schumer was in Holley on Thursday at the Eastern Orleans Community Center, to highlight the change that is scheduled to take effect in September. Orleans County officials say the county will face an additional $100,000 in administration costs for the program for the final quarter of 2026 and about $400,000 more in 2027. (Schumer’s office puts the fiscal hit to the county at about $250,000.)

Schumer said he will push to stop the cost shift and potential reductions in SNAP as part of the new Farm Bill. He also said if there is a new Democrat-controlled House of Representatives and U.S. Senate through the mid-term elections, the new Congress would oppose the cost shifts.

“We all know that families are struggling right now,” Schumer said the Holley center.

This chart, released by U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer, details SNAP benefits costs and recipients, and cost shifts to counties in the Rochester region.

The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) provides food assistance to 135,000 families, kids, and seniors across the Rochester-Finger Lakes region, Schumer said. SNAP is the largest anti-hunger program in the United States and a lifeline for nearly 3 million people in New York State, he said.

Last year, President Trump and Congressional Republicans approved a nearly $200 billion cut to SNAP, Schumer said.

The action also shifted administration costs to some states and counties – about $5.6 million in new annual costs on county budgets in the Rochester-Finger Lakes region, forcing counties to choose between raising local taxes or cutting food assistance for New Yorkers in need, Schumer said.

“These cuts are going to be devastating for Orleans County and all of Upstate New York,” Schumer said. “We’ve always fed the hungry. It’s part of our Judeo-Christian view. Jesus said to feed the hungry.”

Schumer urged the local community to ask Republican Congresswoman Claudia Tenney to back a Farm Bill that doesn’t push SNAP costs on the states and counties – or least gives them more time to prepare for the added expense.

“I’m here today to announce that I will not support a Farm Bill that does not at least provide more time for states and counties to prepare to shoulder the cost of SNAP,” Schumer said. “A Republican Farm Bill that abandons hungry families is not a serious proposal. It’s a non-starter for me”

U.S. Sen. Charles Schumer greets Rose Sargent, a part-time employee at the eastern Orleans Community Center. In back from left are Holley Mayor Mark Bower, and Ryan Lasal, director of Community & Family Program Innovation / Chief Innovation Officer for Community Action.

The Holley center run by Community Action serves over 6,000 prepared meals each year, said Renee Hungerford, executive director of Community Action of Orleans & Genesee.

“As the cost of basic goods continues to rise, the need for food assistance in our community only grows,” she said.

She noted that SNAP also is an important program for farmers and other small businesses in the community.

“Programs like SNAP, shaped through the Farm Bill, don’t just help families put food on the table, they also support our local farmers, grocery stores, and rural economy,” Hungerford said. “And when federal proposals shift more of those program costs onto states, it puts real pressure on counties like Orleans, where local resources are already stretched, increasing the strain on food pantries, community programs, and the families who rely on them every day.”

Lynne Johnson, the County Legislature chairwoman, said Orleans County’s budget is strained and she doesn’t want to push the added costs onto higher property taxes.

“Our budget is already under tremendous pressure from unfunded mandates from Albany,” she said.

Johnson would like a two-year extension from the higher administration fees, and would like to see New York State treated like other states that were given a two-year delay.

“New York should be treated like other states,” she said.

Lynne Johnson, Orleans County Legislature chairwoman, said the county budget is “already under tremendous pressure” due to unfunded mandates from the state government and other rising costs.