Nearly Half of Pima County's SNAP Households Lose Benefits Under Federal Cuts; Supervisors Warn of $178M Annual Hit

Federal cuts to food assistance and Medicaid under HR 1 have already pushed nearly half of Pima County's SNAP households off the program and could force 25,000 to 35,000 adults to meet new Medicaid work requirements, Dr. Theresa Cullen, director of the Pima County Health Department, told the Board of Supervisors at a study session Monday. Supervisor Dr. Matt Heinz, working from the department's figures, put the resulting loss of SNAP dollars at roughly $178 million a year.

Cullen said SNAP enrollment in Pima County has fallen by approximately 49% since HR 1's passage, and that an estimated 25,000 to 35,000 adults — about 15 to 18 percent of the statewide total — would be subject to the new Medicaid work requirement. Supervisor Andrés Cano, citing the department's correspondence, said the cuts had already stripped SNAP benefits from 30,000 children in the county and put some 60,000 adults at risk of losing federal benefits — together about one in ten county residents. The work requirement, beginning in December 2026, will require able-bodied adults ages 18 to 64 to document 80 hours of monthly work, volunteer, or educational activity to maintain coverage — an expansion from the previous age cap of 54. A Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services rule released June 1 and open for public comment through mid-July would further restrict the "medical frailty" exemption that the state had been relying on, Cullen said, adding that "this is a very moving target."

Heinz calculated that the county had been receiving approximately $26 million monthly in SNAP benefits, now reduced to just over $11 million — a drop of roughly $14 million per month, or $178 million annually. "There is no way the county, the city, the state — nobody — community food banks, they're not making up for this," Heinz said. Cullen, who said she had not independently run the calculation, confirmed offsetting the loss would be "very difficult." Cano urged colleagues to contact Rep. Grijalva and other members of the federal delegation with data on local impacts. The health department said a first working group meeting is scheduled for June 19 to begin coordinating an enrollment assistance and community navigation response.

Loop Survey Finds 40% of Users Feel Unsafe; Encampments Cited as Top Concern

The board received results from a spring 2026 Loop user survey conducted as part of the One Pima initiative adopted in November 2025, which found that 40% of nearly 2,000 respondents said they do not feel safe on the multiuse path, with homeless encampments, drug use, and harassment identified as the dominant safety concerns in qualitative responses.

Senior adviser Sarah Davis presented findings showing that the Loop hosts approximately 20,000 users monthly and that 98% of survey respondents use it for recreation — primarily cycling and walking — most frequently in the morning. Of roughly 1,500 open-text responses, homelessness and encampments were the most frequently cited terms. Respondents also prioritized capital improvements including shade, water stations, restroom access, resurfacing, and expanded bridge crossings to close dead-end segments. Davis recommended that staff develop a formal Loop Improvement Plan by the end of 2026, integrating community input, prior capital planning work, and One Pima directives, with a multiyear investment outlook.

E-bikes emerged as a significant unresolved policy issue. Under current county rules, e-bikes are prohibited on the Loop as motorized vehicles under Arizona state law, but County Administrator Jan Lesher and Deputy County Administrator Carmine DeBonis, Jr. acknowledged enforcement is nonexistent. Lesher said staff will return to the board with a policy recommendation. DeBonis noted that "having a rule and not enforcing it" creates potential liability exposure. A study examining how comparable jurisdictions handle e-bikes on multiuse paths is set to launch within 30 days. Supervisor Steve Christy, participating remotely, said the lack of enforcement represented "pretty good liability exposure." Since the One Pima adoption, county crews have removed approximately 500,000 pounds of trash from the Loop, the Santa Cruz River, and the Rillito River, Cano said.

Pima County Identifies Three Preliminary Opportunity Zone Tracts Ahead of June 19 State Deadline

Staff presented preliminary recommendations for Pima County's selection of up to three census tracts for the federal Opportunity Zone 2.0 designation process, with a submission deadline of June 19 to the Arizona Commerce Authority.

Under the program — authorized through the federal "One Big Beautiful Bill" — private investors receive federal tax incentives on long-term capital investment in designated lower-income census tracts, with an enhanced 30% gain exclusion in rural areas. Pima County identified 12 eligible tracts in unincorporated areas and municipalities of 10,000 population or fewer; the city of Tucson is conducting a separate process. Staff recommended three primary tracts — census tracts 4115, 4626, and 4512 — selected based on investment readiness, zoning flexibility, infrastructure, and overlap with existing Community Reinvestment Areas. A 10-day public survey drew 78 responses.

Board members pushed back on the preliminary list, with Cano calling for stronger consideration of southwest unincorporated areas in District 5, and Supervisor Heinz advocating for elevating South Tucson — listed as an alternate due to separate zoning jurisdiction — given an existing intergovernmental agreement with the city for development services. Chair Jennifer Allen asked whether the county was required to submit exactly three tracts; staff confirmed the county may select up to three. The board directed staff to incorporate feedback and complete final track selection before the June 19 deadline.

Prosperity Initiative Update Cites Framework for Centering Low-Income Families

Dr. Helen Schaeffer of the county's Office of Economic Mobility presented an implementation update on the Prosperity Initiative, a 13-component policy adopted by the board in December 2023 aimed at reducing generational poverty among low-income families with children.

Schaeffer outlined a three-part framework organized around streamlining services, prioritizing low-income families, and ensuring program effectiveness, describing how the initiative is being embedded into budget cycles, grant programs, and staff training. She highlighted the PEEPS early childhood program as an example of an evidence-based effort with tracked outcomes, including third-grade reading scores. Supervisor Cano said he had not yet received outcome data from the PEEPS program despite repeated requests, and disclosed that a major employer had committed a significant private gift to the program, which he said should not remain static at its current $10 million funding level. Supervisor Rex Scott pressed for more specificity on how effectiveness is being operationalized and measured across programs, tying it to the administrator's original goal of decreasing household liabilities and increasing assets for families in poverty.

Also discussed:

Item 4 on the study session addendum — staffing processes and vacancy policy — was continued at Supervisor Scott's request to the July 14, 2026, board meeting.
The monthly financial update (regular study session item 6) was pulled from the agenda and converted to a written report distributed to the board.
The climate action plan update was continued to a future meeting after the session ran out of time; Chair Allen directed staff to submit presentation materials several days in advance of future meetings.
Board members received executive session reports on addendum items 1, 2, and 3, with item 3 to proceed as directed in closed session.
Lesher said staff will raise the possibility of a joint Loop patrol partnership with the city at the next regular county-city staff meeting, incorporating findings from a prior VETSEC presence report referenced by Supervisor Scott.