The 2024 election may be over, but the work to bring about the changes voted for isn’t.
Locally, Folsom residents had the opportunity to cast their votes for two city council seats, a school board trustee, and a sales tax measure. But just because the decisions that have been made by Folsom were clear, doesn’t mean that local citizens should tune out until the next election.
I have attended and provided coverage for many city council meetings over the last couple of years and have noticed a trend: that a lot of decisions are made without much public input. But that is not a comment on the City Council necessarily – in fact, some of the incoming and remaining City Council members are very open about wanting to engage more with the public.
Every meeting of the City Council offers the opportunity for attendees to comment on the items being discussed, and many citizens have used this opportunity to provide input on the projects that they care about. But the empty seats at many other meetings betrays a certain reality – that many residents are unable to keep track of the many public decisions that are being considered either due to lack of time or of attention given. This election however, painted a clear picture – that the voters of Folsom believe in community input for City decisions. So how can that be achieved?
Take the discussion surrounding the defeated Measure G for example. The result of the vote was resounding, and Folsom voters chose not to support an increased sales tax to increase city revenues. But though much of the commentary surrounding the Measure was divisive, there were some important commonalities – namely, community input. The Yes on G campaign had proposed a citizen’s oversight committee as a way to keep the public engaged in the stewardship of the proposed tax funds. The No on G campaign argued that this oversight committee didn’t do enough in the way of public involvement in the process. Both campaigns clearly saw the value in engagement with the public.
But the defeat of the measure indicates that many local residents are not satisfied with some of the City’s decisions. Proponents of Measure G have warned of potential future cuts to the budget that could impact services. Both of these groups have a vested interest in continuing to provide input for how the city can either be strategic with raising revenues and creating efficiencies or provide a sense of community values if and when cuts do have to be made.
Local media will continue to cover some of the decisions that are made by the City Council. The new Council may choose to invest more time and resources towards public engagement, beyond what is currently available. But for those citizens that have strong opinions of city decisions, the next two years are not a time to disengage from local politics. City Council and Commission meetings are open to the public, Folsom residents can organize around causes that they care about, and everyone can make the conscious decision to stay engaged with the city that we all call home.
Justin Hurst is a Folsom resident and content creator with interest in local politics. He is the president and CEO of his company Maps and Meta Analysis.
The above commentary was authored by local resident Justin Hurst and submitted to Folsom Times. The views and opinions expressed in community commentary submissions are that of the authors and do not alway reflect the views and opinions of Folsom Times, its management, staff, stakeholders or advertisers.
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