Tenney met with Orleans officials for 2 ½ hours, hearing about challenges providing services in rural county
Photos by Tom Rivers: Congresswoman Claudia Tenney speaks during Tuesday’s Orleans County Legislature meeting.
ALBION – Congresswoman Claudia Tenney spent 2 ½ hours meeting with Orleans County legislators and department heads on Tuesday, hearing about the challenges of providing services in a rural county.
Orleans is part of the 24th Congressional District in New York, which includes all or parts of 14 counties, stretching from Niagara County to northern New York.
Tenney praised the team of county legislators and department heads and said some of the successes in the county should be emulated around the state.
Orleans County, for example, has one of the lowest error rates in SNAP (Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program), Tenney said. The federal government funds SNAP, which provides low-income individuals and families with food benefits.
President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act of 2025 changed how SNAP is administered, with states penalized that exceed a 6 percent payment error rate.
Tenney, during Tuesday’s County Legislature meeting, said New York State has one of the highest error rates in the country, but counties like Orleans “are significantly less than the state.” She doesn’t want Orleans to be penalized based on the overall state’s error rate.
She said the new changes imposed by the federal government have put more workload on the county’s DSS staff. She favors giving the smaller counties more time to implement the changes.
Tenney said the county struggles to provide services due to a limited tax base and the crushing weight of state mandated programs, including Medicaid, which costs the county more than $8 million a year.
She would like to see the state rein in the costs of Medicaid without hurting needy people around the state.
County Legislature Chairwoman Lynne Johnson thanked Tenney for spending the afternoon in Albion meeting with the department heads and county legislators.
“You spent a lot of time in Orleans County and we can’t tell you how much we appreciate that,” Johnson said.
The congresswoman said the Orleans County team “is hitting it out of the park” for local residents, finding cost savings in providing local services.
Johnson, contacted today, said the county reached out to Tenney about stopping by and hearing the concerns from the county level.
“We appreciate her willingness to take the time to truly listen and better understand the priorities of Orleans County,” Johnson said. “She spent two and half hours meeting with our department heads and legislators, attentively hearing firsthand about the challenges and needs facing our community. Her thoughtful questions, engaged presence, and approachable demeanor made the discussion both meaningful and productive.”
Congresswoman Claudia Tenney complimented the county’s team of department heads and county legislators.
