Deferral of 10 firefighter positions, station “brown out” among options to be weighed at Tuesday City Council meeting
A proposal from Folsom City Manager Bryan Whitemyer will go before the City Council Tuesday night that could delay the hiring of 10 new firefighter-paramedics just weeks before their scheduled start date, citing a looming $3 million operational deficit in the city’s general fund.
The deferral, outlined in a staff report included in the July 8 council meeting agenda, recommends adoption of Resolution, which would pause the onboarding of firefighters scheduled to begin employment on July 21. Conditional offers have already been extended as part of an ongoing recruitment process to fill long-standing vacancies within the Folsom Fire Department.
Whitemyer is urging the council to approve the deferral in order to reduce costs and lessen the city’s reliance on reserves to cover the current budget shortfall.
“Deferring the hires will result in an estimated cost savings of approximately $2 million and is a necessary step toward achieving near-term fiscal sustainability,” Whitemyer stated in the report. “Staff recognizes the long-term importance of public safety staffing and recommends this action only as a temporary measure.”
The City Council approved the 2025–26 budget on June 24 with the acknowledgment that more than $3 million from general fund reserves would be needed to cover expenses. At the time, council members asked city staff to continue identifying additional cost-saving measures.
While the ten firefighter positions remain authorized in the budget, Whitemyer emphasized that the city’s precarious financial position requires swift action. “Time is of the essence. We need to decide whether to move forward with the hires very quickly,” he noted.
If the council moves forward with the deferral, the impact on public safety services could be immediate. According to the report, not filling the positions may lead to the temporary brownout of a fire station—a cost-saving measure that would reduce overtime spending but also limit emergency response capabilities, included the reduction of an assigned area medic unit.:
A fire station brownout refers to a temporary, planned reduction in fire department services. With fewer units available, neighboring stations must cover a wider area within the city, which in turn would effect emergency response times.
“Browning out an engine company will result in longer response times and a lack of suppression capabilities in that district,” said Folsom Fire Chief Ken Cusano, who has concerns with the proposed options. “Closing a medic unit increases the transport time to the hospital..”
The council could choose to approve the full deferral, proceed with hiring all 10 firefighters, or approve a partial hiring—such as bringing on four positions instead—to balance budget concerns with public safety needs.
If the deferral is approved, it would reduce general fund reserve usage from over $3 million to approximately $1 million, offering short-term financial relief for the city.
“Time is of the essence. We need to decide whether to move forward with the hires very quickly,” Whytemyer cited in the staff report that City Council will review Tuesday night.
City Council Member Anna Rohrbough will be one of those at City Hall Tuesday night to review and discuss the options with fellow members of council. Rohrbough explained that the voters opposition to a proposed tax measure back in November put the responsibility to solve the issues on council and city staff alike.
“I respect our new city manager for putting forth the tough questions to our city council. Solving our problems was always going to take action. Our tax payers said loud and clear with the defeat of the citizen ran tax measure – let’s live within our means. They were clear they want us to listen, evaluate and prioritize,” said Rohrbough ” I am a huge proponent of public safety but not in exclusion of other aspects of our quality of life. We have to look at all departments with a fresh eye as we evaluate how any decisions we as a council will make will impact our residents.”
The fire department is not the only area affected. Whitemyer said he has directed the Human Resources Department to implement a preliminary hiring freeze for all general fund–funded vacancies. Some essential roles, such as partially funded positions in the Finance Department, may still be filled.
Tuesday’s City Council meeting is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at Folsom City Hall. The proposal is expected to raise concerns among some residents over public safety impacts.
Tuesday’s meeting has very full agenda
Tuesday night’s meeting will also be the first of the month and the first of the new fiscal year, and it comes with a stacked agenda that is expected to make for a lengthy session.
Among ceremonial items, the council will hear a proclamation declaring July 20–26 as National Zookeeper Week in the City of Folsom, and another recognizing July as “Parks Make Life Better Month.”
Beyond proclamations, the agenda includes a wide range of resolutions, agreements, and public hearings. These include the second reading and adoption of measures to form Community Facilities District 20-1 in the Russell Ranch development and authorize associated bonded indebtedness.
Council will also consider a resolution to enter an agreement with Water Systems Consulting, Inc. to prepare the city’s 2025 Urban Water Management Plan and Water Shortage Contingency Plan.
Another key item includes approving a new three-year agreement with Sacramento County for emergency hazardous materials response team services. A separate resolution is on the table to formally submit the city’s response to the Sacramento County Grand Jury’s recent findings and recommendations on elder financial crimes.
The meeting will also include review and adoption of a list of projects to be funded by Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act, for fiscal year 2025–26. That list ties directly into a proposed construction change order with Consolidated Engineering, Inc. for the city’s pavement repair and resurfacing project.
Several water and sewer infrastructure contracts are also up for vote. These include executing Amendment No. 2 to an agreement with Water Works Engineers, LLC for engineering services during sewer rehabilitation construction, and separate agreements with Water Works Engineers and Kimley Horn and Associates for pre-design and signal timing work related to the Oak Avenue Lift Station and traffic signal coordination with RT on Folsom Boulevard.
The council will also consider a new contract with Consolidated Engineering Inc. for the Mangini Ranch Trails Project and a recommendation to deny a related bid protest filed by Dutch Contracting Inc.
Other public hearing items include a resolution to approve and forward the city’s report of delinquent utility charges to Sacramento County for collection on the property tax roll, and the final engineer’s report for the continued levying of assessments in several Landscaping and Lighting Districts.
Additionally, a resolution will be considered to update community facility rental fees, granting city staff the authority to increase fees annually by up to 10% to keep pace with comparable regional rates.
The agenda also features a proposed update to the city’s Sewer System Management Plan and submission of the Folsom Boulevard pavement resurfacing project for state funding.
Lastly, the council will review a new Affordable Housing Loan Program Guidelines proposal intended to provide structure for city-backed financial assistance to housing developers, and a lease agreement with the Folsom Historic District Association for the management of public spaces in the Historic District.
Residents are encouraged to attend City Council meetings and get involved in the decisions shaping their community.Tuesday’s full agenda and meeting materials are available at www.folsom.ca.us.
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