Natoma Station residents urged to attend Tuesday’s City Council Meeting where budget, options will be reviewed
One of Folsom’s oldest neighborhoods is facing notable changes as the city’s Natoma Station Landscaping and Lighting District prepares for significant reductions in service starting July 1. The cuts, prompted by a decades-old stagnant assessment rate and rising operational costs, will affect public landscaping, lighting, and other maintenance services throughout the district.
Established in 1990, the Natoma Station Landscaping and Lighting District has operated on a fixed annual household assessment of $91.70—an amount that has remained unchanged for 34 years. While the costs of water, labor, and maintenance have steadily risen, the district’s budget and service levels have not. City officials now say the gap between the original funding and today’s financial needs has grown too wide to sustain the same level of upkeep.
As a result, residents can expect immediate reductions in neighborhood maintenance, including the elimination of turf mowing and fertilization, reduced watering schedules, no aeration or weed control, and no shrub pruning or replacement of damaged features.
The city launched a public engagement process in early 2024, presenting several assessment options to homeowners in hopes of increasing funding for the district. These options included maintaining current services or expanding improvements to address aging infrastructure. In March, however, a proposed assessment increase narrowly failed—receiving 49.65% of support, just shy of the majority required to pass.
City officials say they are now working to adjust service levels to match available funding, while continuing to seek a viable long-term solution. Community members have expressed growing concerns over deteriorating landscape conditions and questioned how the financial shortfall was allowed to persist for so long.
Two important items tied to the Natoma Station district will come before the Folsom City Council during its meeting on Tuesday, June 10. First, the council will review the Preliminary Engineer’s Report, which outlines the proposed budgets and maintenance activities for the upcoming fiscal year across all 30 city-maintained districts. Approval of this report is a required step before a public hearing on July 8, where residents can weigh in on the final assessments.
The second item pertains to the Fiscal Year 2025–26 citywide budget, which may include a discussion on whether to permit temporary deficit spending for Natoma Station. This stopgap measure, proposed by residents during two recent community meetings, would allow the city to fund critical maintenance in the short term while exploring a new ballot measure or alternative funding strategies.
City staff have heard the frustrations shared during the previous public meetings and are committed to improving communication and budgeting practices. “We understand the impact these changes have on the neighborhood and are working diligently to find both immediate and sustainable solutions,” said Derik Perez, the city’s Municipal Landscape Services Manager.
Residents are encouraged to attend the June 10 City Council meeting to learn more about the proposed budget and offer input on the future of their district. For more details, visit www.folsom.ca.us/LandscapeAndLighting or contact Derik Perez at dperez@folsom.ca.us.
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Focus Keywords: Natoma Station, Folsom landscaping and lighting, Natoma Station budget, Folsom City Council, Natoma Station assessment, service reductions, community input, Folsom public maintenance, June 10 council meeting, Folsom landscape district
