Lake County officials told the Board of Supervisors on Oct. 21 that a continuing federal appropriations lapse threatens benefits and services that affect thousands of county residents.

Matthew Rothstein, chief deputy county administrative officer, and representatives from Paragon Government Relations described rapidly changing federal dynamics during a briefing on the shutdown. Tom Joseph and Hassan Sarsour from Paragon said there was no near‑term movement in Congress to reopen the government and that sticking points include disputes over Affordable Care Act marketplace subsidies.

Rachel from Lake County Social Services advised supervisors that if Congress does not act in the coming days, CalFresh (SNAP) benefits for November may not issue. “In Lake County, we issued $2,700,000 per month in CalFresh benefits to about a third of Lake County’s residents,” she said, and warned that food‑bank capacity would be strained if benefits lapse.

Paragon and county staff also noted additional timing pressures: health‑insurance premium notices and potential premium increases tied to the ACA marketplace subsidies are scheduled for Nov. 1, and federal paycheck disruptions for some employees and contractors could surface within weeks. California has said eligibility workers will be paid through the end of the year using state administrative funds, alleviating one local staffing risk.

County staff urged residents who depend on benefits to monitor county announcements and to use local food‑bank resources if November CalFresh benefits do not issue. Supervisors asked staff to gather more precise counts and to coordinate with the National Association of Counties and other partners to press for federal fixes.

Ending: County officials described the financial stakes for households and the local economy, urged public patience while federal negotiations continue and said they would return to the board with updated impact estimates.