Gov. Mike DeWine on Wednesday signed House Bill 730, a $1.9 billion capital reappropriations package that carves out $12.5 million to soften incoming federal cuts to SNAP administrative funding. Instead of steering that money to counties based on caseload, the state is slicing it into equal shares for all 88 counties, which leaves large urban communities staring at multimillion‑dollar gaps. County leaders warn the shortfalls could lead to layoffs, longer waits for benefits and a squeeze on services that clients depend on. Cuyahoga County, which administers SNAP for more than 182,000 residents, is among the hardest‑hit.
The $12.5 million set‑aside includes about $10 million in state general revenue and $2.5 million in matching federal funds, as reported by Cleveland.com. Supporters argue the infusion at least offers some relief from the federal change, but local officials and advocates counter that it falls far short of covering the immediate gap counties are now facing.
Equal split leaves big counties with crumbs
Republican leaders opted for an equal per‑county split of the $12.5 million instead of using a caseload or need‑based formula. That approach will fully cover projected administrative losses for dozens of small counties while giving larger counties roughly $226,000 each, according to reporting by The Center Square. Advocates say the mismatch means the state patch touches only a sliver of an estimated $38 million shortfall created by the federal changes that take effect in October.
Impact on Cuyahoga County
Cuyahoga County officials estimate about $7.5 million in lost federal administrative support for SNAP and warn those cuts could force “as many as 90” layoffs in the county SNAP office, Cleveland.com reports. County Director David Merriman cautioned that the reduction could trigger an even bigger financial crunch for local SNAP programs and slow application processing for residents who rely on the benefits.
Lawmakers split along party lines
Democratic lawmakers pushed amendments that would have distributed the money by need rather than equally and argued that the Republican plan shortchanges urban counties; those amendments were defeated on party‑line votes, according to Ohio House Democrats. Republicans defended the formula as a practical, quick way to get something into counties’ hands and suggested counties consider tapping carryover balances while they prepare for deeper budget decisions.
Why this matters
Policy analysts and county leaders warn the stakes go beyond staffing: Ohio’s SNAP payment error rate is already well above the federal threshold, and a rise in error rates driven by staffing cuts could expose the state and counties to larger federal penalties, a risk highlighted in recent reporting. That possibility is a key reason many local officials are urging lawmakers to revisit how the state targets any additional dollars before the federal changes arrive…