Citizen-led initiative creates a pathway to address the fiscal challenges facing Folsom

Folsom Takes Action (FTA,) a group of concerned Folsom citizens working to address the city’s looming revenue crisis and keep more public funds in Folsom, today announced its citizen-led initiative to generate new revenue that can only be used in Folsom for public safety, traffic reduction, improving parks and trails, and economic development, will appear on the November ballot as Measure G.

“More than 8,200 residents signed petitions to put this measure on the ballot, and now all our citizens Folsom Takes Action (FTA,) a group of concerned Folsom citizens working to address the city’s looming revenue crisis and keep more public funds in Folsom, today announced its citizen-led initiative to generate new revenue that can only be used in Folsom for public safety, traffic reduction, improving parks and trails, and economic development, will appear on the November ballot as Measure G.

“More than 8,200 residents signed petitions to put this measure on the ballot, and now all our citizens have the opportunity to protect Folsom’s future,” said Bruce Cline, FTA’s co-chair. “Challenges like the Amazon effect, which diverts a huge percentage of our revenue from online sales to the county, costly and unfunded state government mandates, and higher costs for the materials and services the city must purchase are a very real threat to the quality of life we all enjoy. Measure G is the solution.”

When passed, Measure G will provide critical funding for programs and amenities that, according to surveys year after year, are most important to Folsom residents, including:

• More resources to enhance public safety, reduce crime, and address homelessness.

• Street improvements to repair roads and reduce traffic.

• Maintenance and improvements to our existing parks, fields and playgrounds.

• New resources to attract more businesses and high-paying jobs.

• Citizen oversight on how our tax dollars are spent.

“For more than a decade, Folsom City leaders have been actively working to cut costs, stretch dollars, and ensure a balanced budget, while minimizing cuts to public services. Today, after so many years of ‘tightening the belt,’ the City of Folsom faces a revenue shortfall that is already impacting public safety, city streets, aging infrastructure, parks and trails, and Folsom’s economic future,” said Colleen Shannon, a small business owner in Folsom.

Recently, City Manager Elaine Andersen presented the city’s draft Fiscal Year (FY) 24-25 budget stating “the cost to run the city far exceeds the revenue.” While the City Council approved hiring six police officers for FY 24-25, the city still has fewer officers than it did in 2008 and has not been able to add additional firefighters to staff Station 35 that were cut in 2014.

The city is not fixing or replacing parks and trails, nor does the city have the reserve funds to fix many critical problems. Due to the fiscal challenges facing the city, no money was included in the FY 24-25 budget for park or trail renovation or needs at the aquatic center, sports complex, or soccer fields. The city has over thirty parks with structures over 20 years old which have exceeded their lifespan. Maintenance needs would have degraded even further if the City Council had not allocated $300,000 from reserve funds on a one-time basis to limit park decline.2

Data from Folsom’s Finance Department also shows that as much as 40 percent of the new revenue from Measure G could come from sales taxes paid by out-of-town shoppers and visitors, who benefit from Folsom’s public services.

“Ultimately Measure G is about local control,  it’s about Folsom residents choosing to keep public funds in Folsom and having a voice in making sure those funds are spent on the vital services we need here at home,” said Steve Heard, past Chair of the Folsom Chamber.

“That’s why a broad coalition of small business owners, public safety members, residents and community groups have come together to support Measure G. Its passage will be a victory for all Folsom residents, and we’ll be working hard to make that happen.”

Voters can learn more about Measure G at https://yesonfolsommeasureg.org/.

Source: Press Release from Folsom Takes Action, Yes on Measure G