CINCINNATI — Hamilton County officials are closely monitoring the stability of federal funding as the Trump administration looks to reshape government spending.
The county reported receiving $346 million in federal funding over the past five years, but commissioners warn that future directives from President Trump could change that.
"This is not a discussion of gloom and doom, but this is us dealing with reality," said Hamilton County Commissioner Stephanie Summerow Dumas during Tuesday’s commissioners meeting.
According to a staff report, the total federal funding across all departments amounts to $346,543,157.78, including nearly $60 million in one-time grants, $175.6 million in recurring operational funding grants and over $5 million in pass-through funding (meaning it passes through the State of Ohio).
That total does not include COVID-era American Rescue Plan Act funding, which has been entirely obligated by the county and 77% spent, Hamilton County Administrator Jeff Alutto said.
Hear what one commissioner says could happen to your local taxes if federal funding is changed:
Federal dollars in Hamilton County support a wide range of critical services, from first responder equipment and SNAP food assistance to bridge projects and hazard reduction for lead paint.
"This is not pork barrel money. This is money that we send out to the community so that we can make Hamilton County a better place to live," said Anson Turley, deputy assistant county administrator for Hamilton County.
The report said the funding supports numerous county functions, including $4.7 million for addiction response programs, $12.3 million for the Engineer's Office to maintain road, bridge and other infrastructure as well as $20.9 million for the Public Health Department's initiatives ranging from injury prevention to HIV services.
The county's Developmental Disabilities Services receives $162.5 million in direct and indirect federal funding, with the largest portion supporting home and community-based services through the Federal Medical Assistance Percentage.
Leia Snyder, the superintendent and CEO of Developmental Disabilities Services, told commissioners that conversations in Washington over the federal match percentage hold the largest risk. It’s currently roughly 65% of the medicaid costs.
“Even just a 1% change in that federal match would be at least $2.5 million annually for us,” Snyder said.
The potential impact is also concerning for Jobs and Family Services (JFS), where federal funding made up nearly a third of the department's budget last year. The department managed $80.5 million in federal funding for fiscal year 2024, with Medicaid reimbursement accounting for $10-12 million of that total.
While JFS’ director told the commissioners there's no specific indication that funding will change, the future for food assistance and Medicaid remains unclear in Washington.
"Any adjustments, any changes to eligibility for those families will have an impact on the citizens of Hamilton County," said Michael Patton, director of Hamilton County Jobs and Family Services.
Read the full report from the Hamilton County administration on federal funding:
2025 SR0009 REV Federal Funding Summary by webeditors
A loss of federal money could mean not only a reduction in services but also job losses.
One example includes the county's Office of Addiction Response.
"Commissioner Reece, you had asked, 'Are there any staff that have been hired specifically under federal grant funding?' That's my entire department," said Meagan Guthrie, director of the Office of Addiction Response.
While there's no specific funding threat from Washington yet, commissioners warn that any changes will have significant consequences, potentially including tax increases.
"It gets to a point of something that I'm not supportive of, which is taxes could go up, because these are services that we're able to get from the federal government, and that's why these dollars are so important," said Hamilton County Commissioner Alicia Reece.
As the county holds its breath waiting to see what changes might come, Reece emphasized the significance of the funding at stake.
"Over $300 million dollars is nothing to sneeze at," she said.
Driehaus said the county will monitor for any updates on federal funding.
"Hopefully, we won't get any, but you never know, and so that's what we're preparing for," Driehaus said.
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