Mecklenburg leaders warn of ‘crisis’ over Trump’s ‘Big, Beautiful Bill’ cuts
Mecklenburg leaders warned of a looming “crisis” as the county tries to plan for major changes to Medicaid and food assistance programs due to federal policy shifts.
County commissioners heard an update at their Tuesday meeting on the local impacts of the “One Big, Beautiful Bill,” sweeping legislation passed through Congress by the Trump administration last summer.
The bill includes “an estimated $1.2 trillion” in cuts to Medicaid and food assistance nationwide, county staff said. Cuts to food and nutrition services are expected to cost Mecklenburg County $7.5 million in fiscal year 2027 and $10 million in fiscal year 2028, according to Tuesday’s presentation.
The work requirements in the bill for people getting assistance will also add to the county’s workload, staff said. That could lead to longer waits for applicants and a risk of more errors.
District 3 Commissioner George Dunlap cautioned the cuts may make further property tax increases “unavoidable” to make up for lost funding and higher costs.
“I usually have suggestions,” he said of finding a solution. “I ain’t got one.”
District 5 Commissioner Laura Meier called the situation a “crisis.”
“We can’t just make up money, and we can’t keep taxing people,” she said.
District 6 Commissioner Susan Rodriguez-McDowell suggested the board draft a statement or resolution to “testify to the results of the bill.”
Dunlap encouraged the board to lobby federal and state legislators directly through its state and national associations of counties.
Board Chairman Mark Jerrell said the county will need to get creative to communicate what’s at stake to the public.
“We’re going to have to think about doing things that we haven’t done before, maybe that we’re a little bit uncomfortable with,” the District 4 representative said. “... We have got to let the people know exactly what we are facing.”
