Folsom Takes Action (FTA), the citizen-led group working to place a 1-cent (1%) sales tax measure on the November ballot to help fund vital services, improvements and investments exclusively in Folsom, today announced it has collected 8,279 signatures from Folsom residents and submitted them to The Folsom City Clerk’s office for initial verification, according to a press release from FTA.
The measure only needs 5,610 valid signatures to get on the ballot, however the group added a “healthy margin” to ensure qualification, and to demonstrate the breadth of public support for the measure.
“Folsom residents want to see our quality of life preserved – they want enhanced public safety, they want parks and trails improved, and they want to be part of a thriving city that’s attracting jobs, and adding amenities and services, rather than cutting them,” said Bruce Cline, FTA’s co-chair.
After the City Clerk completes a “raw verification” on the number of signatures submitted (in about 24 hours), the petitions will be sent to the Sacramento County Voter Registration and Elections Office for formal verification that the required number of valid signatures has been gathered. That process is expected to take approximately 30 business days.
Assuming the measure qualifies, it will be placed on the November 2024 ballot for all Folsom residents to decide.
As a “special” tax, the new revenue can only be used for identified purposes in Folsom, including public safety (fire protection and emergency medical response, reducing crime and addressing homelessness), improving traffic and repairing damaged streets, improving parks and trails, stormwater system and water quality improvements to protect the American River, community enhancement projects, and economic development. Revenues cannot be placed into the General Fund, and cannot be used to enhance pensions or retirement benefits for city employees.
If passed by the voters, all funds raised would remain in Folsom and be monitored by a Citizens Oversight Committee.
The citizen group began gathering signatures for the measure in December, in response to warnings raised by the City Manager and the city’s Finance Department over several years indicating city revenue is flattening and, despite more than a decade of efforts to cut costs, expenses are outpacing revenues. For more information, visit www.folsomtakesaction.org.
