JOHNSTOWN - The number of people receiving food stamps in Fulton County rose by 22 percent last year, according to the Department of Social Services' 2008 annual report recently issued to the Board of Supervisors.
The report - prepared by DSS Deputy Commissioner Anne Solar - covered the various finances and programs among county government's largest agency.
Fulton County DSS in 2008 had a $27 million budget, with $22.3 million spent on programs, $4.4 million spent on payroll and $1.2 million spent on administration. The department received nearly $12 million in revenue last year - $6 million in federal revenue, $4.6 million in state revenue and $1.7 million in local revenue.
The report said the food stamp program added the greatest number of recipients in 2008. There were 7,015 food stamp recipients last year, an increase of 1,542 - 22 percent - from the 5,473 recipients in 2007.
"A poor economic climate, in conjunction with regulatory changes that made it easier for needy families to apply, contributed to the increase," the report stated.
The Home Energy Assistance Program, or HEAP, ended the year with 1,040 more recipients than in 2007 - a 15 percent increase. The report said Medicaid - the DSS program with the greatest long-term expansion recently- saw a "modest" increase of 3 percent or 418 recipients in 2008.
The food stamp program is administered at the federal level by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, which calls it SNAP - the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program.
The Fulton County report said face-to-face interviews are no longer required for food stamp applications from working families or those who have transportation difficulties or other barriers. The report said people can apply via telephone interview.
Johnstown 1st Ward Supervisor Richard Handy, chairman of the Board of Supervisors' Social Services Committee, today praised the work done by the DSS staff, singling out Commissioner Sheryda Cooper for a "tremendous job."
"I think everything's going okay, but you're always going to have your critics," Handy said.
He said the DSS budget picture is still cloudy for 2010, especially regarding Medicaid.
"Everything's in limbo, especially with the state," the supervisor said. "We don't know what the state's going to do."
Michael Anich covers Johnstown and Fulton County news. He can be reached at johnstown@leaderherald.com.