This article is part of Folsom Times’ 2026 Coffee with Candidates series, featuring one-on-one conversations with candidates in key local races. Through video interviews and accompanying digital coverage, candidates respond to a series of questions developed with input from the community, giving voters an opportunity to hear directly from those seeking office on issues important to the region.
In this segment, we sit down with Paul Kerfeld, candidate for Folsom City Council District 1. Kerfeld has lived in Folsom’s Historic District for 34 years. He is retired following a 20-year career with the Folsom Solid Waste Department, where he worked serving the residents and businesses of Folsom.
Q: Folsom continues to grow, particularly south of Highway 50. While the city also faces aging infrastructure and maintenance needs in established areas, do you believe Folsom’s infrastructure is keeping pace with its growth? What would you do differently, if anything, and would you ever support slowing or delaying development until necessary infrastructure is in place?
Kerfeld: I would absolutely slow down the growth south of 50 until we have the infrastructure in place. I’ve been a 34-year resident of the Historic District, and our infrastructure and our traffic circulation is a mess, and it has been for over two and a half decades. So I would put the brakes on any more growth until we have the infrastructure in place.
Q: Traffic congestion remains a major concern, particularly around East Bidwell Street and Highway 50. What do you believe the city can realistically do to improve traffic over the next four years? And where do projects such as the Empire Ranch Road interchange, Alder Creek Parkway, and improvements to existing roads rank among your priorities?
Kerfeld: That’s a great question. As far as out on Highway 50 and East Bidwell, you know, the experiment’s over. They’ve put over 5,000 homes out there. And if they haven’t learned their lesson by now that it can’t handle it, then I don’t know what to tell them.
That’s one reason I’m running, so we can have some common sense, you know, learn from our mistakes and press forward. And as far as our infrastructure in mind, I’m in the Historic District. We need traffic calming. People are driving too fast.
And if we slow them down, I think that would push them to our main arteries, which would create better circulation for the whole town. And we got a mess. We have a mess right now.
And I’m not going to tell anybody I have a magic wand and I’d come in and fix it like snapping my fingers. But we need to stop. We need basically a moratorium on any more growth till we get our traffic circulation and our infrastructure squared away.
Q: Do you believe new development should pay for the full cost it creates for the city, including roads, parks, public safety and other services, as well as the long-term maintenance and eventual replacement of that infrastructure? Would you support adjusting development and permit fees if studies show current fees don’t fully recover those costs?
Kerfeld: Absolutely. And that was when the annexation of Highway 50 happened. That was the plan. They were supposed to have their own water. They don’t. They’re supposed to pay for themselves.
And, you know, if you want to move in there, you got to know the disclosures. When you move in there, you’re paying for this over here. You’re paying for the three officers or four officers, whatever it is. You’re going to pay for the fire station. You’re going to pay for the schools in your area because the people north of Highway 50 should not be included in that.
And quit cutting down oak trees would be my other thing.
Q: Folsom faces increasing costs for infrastructure and city services while also having to maintain a balanced budget. Would you support asking voters to consider another local sales tax or other revenue measure in the future? If not, how would you address the city’s long-term infrastructure and service needs without additional taxes?
Kerfeld: I would not support a new tax. I’ll make that clear. We’re taxed to death enough in this state, and the people can’t handle another tax.
And I find it crazy that this last budget year they had, you know, $3 million in the hole plus some change, and then all of a sudden it’s, you know, a balanced budget.
So I think that they really need to dive into their books, find out what kind of waste is going on within their government and weed that out.
Q: Residents in established areas of Folsom frequently raise concerns about aging streets, parks, trails and other infrastructure. How should the city balance maintaining and improving existing neighborhoods with spending on infrastructure needed to serve newer development? What should be fixed first when there isn’t enough money to do everything?
Kerfeld: Well, you got to keep the main arteries going. That’s going to help with our circulation. But you can’t forget about the neighborhoods in need.
I live in one of them, the Historic District. We’re about two and a half decades, not years, two and a half decades of failed infrastructure, failed traffic circulation.
And how are you going to go about it? I’d have to look at some books and really talk. If I’m elected, the finance person up at City Hall and me are going to be best friends because we got to know where this money is going.
I know there’s Measure A, the gas tax or road tax that we get, and how that’s distributed, how you get on the list. I’m unsure how they come up with their list of priority areas. I know the Historic District hasn’t been one of them, and I can’t really speak too much more because I need to see some numbers.
Q: As Folsom’s population and developed area continue to grow, what should the city be doing to ensure police, fire and emergency medical services keep pace? Do you believe current staffing and funding are adequate? And if not, how would you pay for additional resources?
Kerfeld: Well, I’m not really sure what the funding is. I know they went through a period where they weren’t hiring any police officers, and you cannot put — we’re at 92,000 people, I think, now in town. We were at 72. So everybody can do the simple math. We need more public safety, fire and police.
These guys, they can’t be every place at once. And I think there’s ways that can help them, for police to do law enforcement.
I’ve heard the comments from the peanut gallery about Flock cameras and how they’re against those. You don’t need a retirement fund, a pension. You don’t need health care for a Flock camera.
If it’s used wrong, the people using them wrong should be put in jail as far as I’m concerned. But that is, I think, a good tool for law enforcement to help deter crime or be on top of it when it’s happening.
Q: Housing remains one of the more difficult issues facing California cities. Within the authority Folsom still has under state law, what kind of housing growth do you believe is appropriate for Folsom? Do you believe the city currently has the right balance of apartments, higher-density housing and single-family neighborhoods? And where should future housing be concentrated?
Kerfeld: Well, as far as the apartments, there’s way too much, and we’re saturated. And they’re not spread out because the land’s not there. The only place to put apartments up are south of 50.
They’ve pretty much saturated East Bidwell from Coloma Street all the way, you know, that big group of apartments that went up, the affordable housing and that kind of stuff went up and out all the way out by East Bidwell.
One thing that could help out at East Bidwell would be start putting pedestrian crossings over East Bidwell. That would keep the traffic moving, I think, a little bit better.
The only place we got to put them is out south of 50. And you get to a point where there’s just no more room. There’s just no more room for it.
I understand everybody wants to live here. I live here for a certain reason because it’s a beautiful place to live, but you can’t saturate it to the point where nobody can enjoy it anymore.
Q: Folsom residents value the city’s parks, trails and open spaces, neighborhoods, and overall sense of community. While issues such as e-bikes, homelessness, code enforcement and neighborhood safety continue to generate concerns, which quality of life issues do you believe require greater attention from City Hall? And what specifically would you do about them?
Kerfeld: Traffic calming. And that’s an easy one for me. From Wales to Folsom Boulevard on Natoma Street, on Bidwell Street, Riley to Folsom Boulevard, on Sibley Street, from Glenn all the way into Old Town, and slow people down coming into town because the people on Natoma Street, their quality of life hasn’t existed for over two decades.
And we want people to come here. We want them to come enjoy the neighborhood, Sutter Street. We want them to enjoy it, but, you know, at what point, what price do we have to pay for that?
Because we’re just trying to have our lives up the hill here. We’re, you know, we’re just trying to have a good life, and the growth has really put a damper on that.
Our quality of life, the parks, trails, that’s why I live here. I don’t have to drive too much. I can walk down to the river like I do every day, five miles every morning. I ride 14 to 15 miles on the bike trails every day. And that’s why I live here.
And it needs to be maintained. And, you know, if there’s not money for it, then we need to figure out how we can get money. And that’s where I’ll always fall back to waste.
I think I’ve mentioned, too, we haven’t talked about it yet, but I worked for the city for 20 years. It was an honor and privilege to work for the citizens and businesses of this town. And I know there’s waste. We just got to go get it out of there.
Q: What should Folsom be doing to attract employers, restaurants, retail and other businesses that strengthen the city’s economy and generate revenue? At the same time, what could City Hall do better to support existing locally owned businesses?
Kerfeld: Well, we’ll go right back to traffic because who wants to come shop here if they can’t drive on the roads and it’s gridlock all the time?
And as far as future businesses coming in, I’m all for it. But we got so many existing businesses now that need the support of the city before you start bringing new stuff in.
You know, tech, big tech in this town, and there are places you can put them. We have a business park over there off Parkshore. That’s about the only place I see that you can put up, or south of 50, to help support maybe their growth and the needs they need on the other side of the freeway.
Q: If elected, what would be your three highest priorities during your term? And four years from now, what measurable results should voters use to determine whether you were successful?
Kerfeld: Fiscal responsibility and transparency.
Talk to people in layman’s language so they understand what is on the plate for them. I’ve been doing a lot of dry reading since I decided to run for office. And I tell you what, you almost need to be a lawyer to understand some of it.
And I think that needs to be explained to the citizens a little clearer and a little bit more, something they can understand.
Traffic calming, I’m a hawk on that. And if that’s the only thing I can get accomplished, is traffic calming in the Historic District, that would be a victory for me.
I’m not looking to do this long term. I’m looking to come in, have a new way of thinking, a new way of doing things, and actually quit poking things with a stick, get some action plans and then execute them so everybody can benefit from them.
Because for too long it’s the same old song and dance. Tell you one thing and no results from it. So that’s about where I’m at.
Q: In closing, is there an important issue facing Folsom that we haven’t asked you about or something about your candidacy that you want voters to know? This is also your opportunity to discuss your qualifications, endorsements or community support, and to tell voters why you believe you are the best choice to represent your district on the Folsom City Council.
Kerfeld: Paul Kerfeld, Folsom City Council, 2026dist1.com. That’s my website. That’s where you can go read a little bit more about me. If you want a yard sign, the information, there’s a form you can fill out. Send me an email. I deliver. Have sign. Have a rubber mallet. We’ll travel. All I need is your address.
I think this is a — every election’s a big election. And if you’ve lived here long enough, you’ve seen a lot of the same old tired rhetoric. And it’s time to change that.
I know as being a resident, one reason I’m running, I’m fed up. And I can stay fed up or I can run for office. I chose to run for office to make a positive change to our community.
And we need to put the C back in community because everybody these days, social media, cell phones, all that stuff, the interaction amongst humans has sort of slid to the wayside, and that’s sad.
Community meetings, community meetings with the District 1 voters, for citywide too, really. Not only am I going to be representing District 1, I’m going to be representing the city.
One thing we haven’t talked about: parking. Parking is a nightmare in our district, the Historic District. Not so much across the river, but they have their issues too over there.
And just because the state says you don’t need to have parking for your planned development doesn’t mean that you have to follow that as a City Council member. You stand up for that.
I’m going to go ahead and put my cell number out there. Text me. That’s the best way to get a hold of me. It’s 916-838-1119.
I appreciate Folsom Times for having me down here and giving me an opportunity to get my face out there. You’ll see me on my bicycle riding with the sign on the back of it, “Vote for Paul Kerfeld.” Well, actually, it says, “Elect Paul Kerfeld.” And I respectfully ask for your vote. Thank you very much.
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