The Folsom City Council on Tuesday selected Councilmember Justin Raithel as mayor and Councilmember Anna Rohrbough as vice mayor for 2026, completing the annual leadership transition outlined in the Folsom City Charter and Municipal Code.
The votes were taken near the end of the meeting as outgoing Mayor Sarah Aquino concluded her year in the role. Before the vote, Aquino addressed her colleagues, telling them, “Thank you for the honor and privilege of allowing me to serve as mayor for this past year.” She then formally nominated Raithel for mayor and Rohrbough for vice mayor, leading to a unanimous decision by the council.
Under city rules, the council selects its leadership each December by majority vote. According to the staff report presented Tuesday, the mayor serves as the council’s presiding officer, primary spokesperson and representative in regional and intergovernmental matters, while the vice mayor performs those duties when the mayor is unavailable.
“I love this city, and it’s a privilege and an honor to serve as mayor,” said Raithel. “I’m thankful for my colleagues on the City Council and the trust they’ve placed in me. I’m excited to continue working together to support the people and places that make Folsom such a special community, with a focus on strengthening neighborhoods, improving efficiencies and technology, supporting economic development, and being thoughtful stewards of the budget.”
Raithel, who represents District 2, is completing his first full year on the council after being elected in 2024 with 38.56 percent of the vote.
Raithel brings a background as a small business owner, licensed professional engineer, and dedicated community volunteer. He has served on the Folsom and Sacramento County Planning Commissions, the Historic District Commission, and the Library Commission. Raithel is a founding member and past chair of Folsom’s Community Service Day and the creator of the Neighbors Helping Seniors program.
A past president of the Rotary Club of Folsom, he has led numerous community initiatives and was honored as Folsom’s 2020 Volunteer of the Year by the Folsom Chamber of Commerce. He resides in the Briggs Ranch neighborhood with his fiancé and two stepchildren and is committed to enhancing Folsom’s vibrancy and quality of life.
Rohrbough has called Folsom home since 2020. She previously lived in Washington, where she served on the Mukilteo City Council from 2017 to 2020 and as vice mayor in 2019. She represented the City of Mukilteo on the Puget Sound Regional Council Economic Development Board and the Snohomish County Tomorrow Steering Committee. She also served on the Sno-Isle Library Foundation Board, the Snohomish County Economic Alliance, and the Mukilteo Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors.
Rohrbough holds economics and political science degrees from the University of Washington. Her professional background includes business leadership and coaching with the John Maxwell Team, where she trained leaders and taught transformational leadership. She is also an accomplished speaker who has presented on the TEDx stage.
She is a proponent of visionary leadership, economic development, and the effective use of limited city resources while investing in essential city services, amenities, and infrastructure. Her family includes her husband Carter, son Harrison, daughter Ella, and two dogs, Hanalei and Ozzie.
During council comments, Raithel used much of his time to publicly recognize Aquino’s work over the past year. “Sarah has represented our city with grace, warmth and eloquence,” he said. “She’s always speaking from the heart and sharing personal stories that remind us of who we are as a community. She’s been approachable and accessible.”
Raithel noted that Aquino built relationships across the region during her term. “Sarah works effectively across the Sacramento region, partnering and advocating to improve regional, state and even federal governments,” he said. “During a year of transition for our city’s leadership team, Sarah has also served as Folsom’s chief moral officer — encouraging staff, steadying the ship, reminding everyone why we love serving this community.”
He ended his remarks by thanking Aquino “for serving with heart, humor and humanity.”
Rohrbough, who represents District 5 and will now serve as vice mayor, also expressed her appreciation to Aquino. “Thank you for your professionalism this year, Sarah,” Rohrbough said. “I look forward to serving with you this year and with Justin as well. You’ve done a fine job as vice mayor. Thank you to everyone else for the trust and vote as well.”
The City Charter outlines the mayor’s responsibilities, including presiding at council meetings, coordinating policy discussions with the city manager, representing the city at public and ceremonial events and serving as the primary spokesperson for council actions and municipal initiatives. The vice mayor assists in these functions and assumes the mayor’s duties when needed.
Aquino, who was first elected to the council in 2018, completed her second term as mayor on Tuesday. She previously served in the role in 2020 and as vice mayor in 2019 and 2021. She continues to represent Folsom on several regional boards, including the Sacramento Metropolitan Air Quality Management District and the Sacramento-Placerville Transportation Corridor Joint Powers Authority. Aquino operates her family’s insurance agency and is a former Folsom Chamber of Commerce board chair and PTA president. She will continue serving as a councilmember.
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