Comptroller March Gallagher Reports On Federal Funds in Ulster County
Kingston, NY (November 25, 2024) – Today Ulster County Comptroller March Gallagher released a report entitled Ulster County Federal Funds Impact Report. The report shows that in 2023 Ulster County expended $50.9 million in federal funding, $3 million of which went to subrecipients primarily through the American Rescue Act Plan program. The largest share of federal funds spent by Ulster County was in the areas of Health and Human Services for programs such as the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program, which spent $11.5 million last year to support families in need.
In addition to the federal funds received by Ulster County directly, residents of Ulster County also benefit from federal funds flowing to the City of Kingston, 20 towns and 3 villages of Ulster County. These funds support a variety of areas including public safety and infrastructure. Ulster County School Districts receive federal funding which makes up 6.5% of their total revenues and offsets the impacts on real property taxpayers. Municipal and school district federal funds revenues are dwarfed by the federal benefits received directly by individuals.
The report shows that in 2022, according to the latest available data, Ulster County residents received $616.6 in Medicare benefits, and $642.9 million in Medicaid benefits. In 2023, the report estimates that Ulster County residents received $991.4 million in social security benefits, $27.4 million in social security disability income, $46.6 for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, and $8.7 million for the Home Energy Assistance Program (HEAP). The largest benefit program serving Ulster County residents is Social Security, which is providing $991.4 million to 43,680 Ulster County seniors annually.
The estimates in this report do not include federal aid to hospitals, fire departments, nonprofits, libraries, and businesses.
“It is my hope that this report will help the public and policymakers to understand how much federal funding impacts Ulster County residents every day and in every stage of their lives. If the new Administration in Washington seeks to change federal funding being provided to local governments or directly to residents through entitlement programs, people need to know how much funding is at risk. This federal funding provides income for seniors, education for our kids, food for our low-income families, caregiving for our disabled family members and many other supports and services.”
