Mayor Justin Raithel delivers his first State of the City address, offering a candid assessment of Folsom’s finances, public safety, infrastructure and long-term directionbody here
A wide cross section of Folsom’s business community, residents, nonprofit leaders and elected officials filled Lakeside Church on Wednesday for the city’s annual State of the City address, an event that marked a milestone moment for Mayor Justin Raithel as he delivered the first State of the City speech of his tenure on City Council.
Presented by Choose Folsom, the annual event placed Raithel center stage as he offered a candid, data-driven assessment of Folsom’s financial health, infrastructure needs, public safety priorities and economic future, while repeatedly emphasizing the role of partnerships — public, private and volunteer — in sustaining the city’s quality of life.
This year’s State of the City address opened in a markedly different fashion than those in the past, setting an immediate tone of creativity and innovation. Rather than beginning with traditional remarks from the podium, Raithel launched the event with a produced and entertaining video that reimagined the long-standing annual tradition.
The video starred Raithel himself as he abruptly ran off the stage, exited the building and took attendees on an interactive tour to several key locations throughout the city. As he strolled through neighborhoods, civic spaces and areas tied directly to the topics being discussed, Raithel presented segments of his remarks on location, visually connecting policy, projects and priorities to the places and people they impact. The video concluded with Raithel returning to Lakeside Church and stepping back onto the stage, where he transitioned seamlessly into his official address.
“I am deeply honored to serve as your mayor this year and to be able to share with you the State of Our Incredible City,” Raithel said.
Mayor’s personal journey shaped by Folsom’s resilience
Raithel opened his official address by sharing his personal connection to the State of the City tradition and the role it played in his decision to put down roots in Folsom nearly two decades ago.
“In fact, I wouldn’t be standing here today if it wasn’t for this tradition,” he said.
Raithel recounted boarding a plane from London to Sacramento in 2008, arriving in Northern California with demographic data, six months of corporate housing and plans to start a small business just as the Great Recession unfolded.
“Not sure if you all remember 2008, but not many folks were looking to start small businesses at that time,” he said.
He referenced the January 2009 State of the City address delivered by then-Folsom Mayor Steve Miklos, who acknowledged the recession while highlighting projects that continued moving forward despite the economic downturn, including the Palladio development, the Sutter Streetscape project, the Folsom Ranch annexation, the Cal-ISO facility moving forward during the recession, and the soon-to-open Folsom Lake Crossing.
“These iconic projects shaped the city we know today and were delivered during a period of steep declines in tax revenues when the city had to draw on reserves,” Raithel said. “Mayor Miklos shared a story of Folsom’s resilience and a bright future for its residents and businesses despite the challenges.”
Nearly two decades later, Raithel said he hopes future entrepreneurs in attendance are weighing similar decisions.
“I really hope there are a couple future Folsom business owners here in the audience today… making that important decision about whether Folsom is the right place to open shop or to expand their business.”
Acknowledging family, educators and community support
Before turning to city policy and operations, Raithel paused to acknowledge the personal support behind his public service.
“I’d also like to take a moment and acknowledge my fiancée, Tara Baird,” he said, noting that she teaches transitional kindergarten at Blanche Sprentz Elementary School and is in her second year with the Folsom Cordova Unified School District.
“I get to see firsthand the great work our teachers do in Folsom schools each and every day,” he said. “Thank you to all of our educators for the work you do to prepare our youth for the journey ahead.”
Confronting structural deficits and deferred investment
Raithel transitioned into a candid assessment of Folsom’s financial condition, crediting City Manager Bryan Whitemyer with helping the city navigate a $3 million general fund shortfall identified last year.
“For many years, the city has projected a structural deficit without a sustainable, long-term solution,” Raithel said, citing deferred infrastructure maintenance and rising pension obligations.
The City of Folsom owns approximately $1.2 billion in assets but has historically spent just under $14 million per year maintaining them, about 1.1 percent of asset value.
“This is unsustainable and has led to more expensive emergency repairs on our aging infrastructure,” he said.
While Whitemyer initially proposed using reserves to cover the shortfall, Raithel said the final solution included $5 million in service reorganizations and staff reductions to balance the budget and realize savings in the years ahead.
“Living Within Our Means will not be easy,” Raithel said. “But it is the right way to run a household, and it’s also the right way to run our city.”
Raithel also thanked former Mayor Rosario Rodriguez Aquino for her leadership during the difficult community discussions surrounding the budget.
Investing in the library while maximizing funding partnerships
Among the city’s major capital investments this year is a $1.6 million renovation of the Folsom Public Library to replace its original roof and HVAC system, both nearing 20 years old.
“Our library stands out amongst its peers with the highest circulation in Sacramento County,” Raithel said, noting nearly 200,000 visitors each year and more than 400,000 items circulated annually, despite per-capita operational funding at roughly half that of neighboring jurisdictions.
He credited volunteers, private donors and state grants for helping maintain the facility.
“You’ll hear this story often throughout my speech — tax dollars play a role, private donations play a role, and state and federal grants play a role,” Raithel said.
Fire department transition, equipment investments and data-driven service alignment
Public safety remained a central theme throughout the address, beginning with leadership changes in the Fire Department following the retirement of longtime Fire Chief Ken Cusano.
Raithel thanked interim Fire Chief Jason Solak, a Folsom resident of 24 years, for stepping into the role during the transition.
In 2025, the city took delivery of five ambulances, two fire engines and a ladder truck, equipment ordered years earlier that now allows three new ambulances to be in daily service with two additional units in reserve.
After extensive public discussion, the city reassigned fire apparatus and browned out an engine company to reduce overtime strain, restore full ambulance coverage and improve service alignment.
“These discussions made it clear we had work to do on improving our data collection and reporting,” Raithel said.
“So while we are working on improving efficiency, let me assure you we have an incredible team of firefighters,” he said.
“Each year, they respond to over 10,000 calls for service and log over 11,000 hours of training,” Raithel said.
Because nearly 80 percent of calls for service are medical, the city plans to introduce single-role paramedics whose primary focus will be emergency medical response.
“We continue our commitment to providing Advanced Life Support for all Folsom Fire Department responses, and I am grateful for the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the Folsom Fire Department,” Raithel said.
Police department leadership, accountability and expanded facilities
Raithel also addressed challenges and transitions within the Folsom Police Department, including staffing changes and recent discrimination lawsuit settlements totaling just over $1 million.
“I don’t want to sugarcoat this,” Raithel said. “These lawsuits were serious, costly to taxpayers, and we have taken concrete steps to ensure we do better moving forward.”
“Our city leadership is committed to ensuring all employees are treated with dignity and that any accusations are investigated promptly and fully in the future,” he added.
After the retirement of Chief Rick Hillman, Raithel addressed the leadership transition.
“At the end of 2025, we welcomed Adam Green as our new Police Chief,” Raithel said. “Chief Green comes to Folsom after 24 years with the Sacramento Police Department where he most recently served as Deputy Chief.”
“He brings his strong record of ethical leadership, and he offers an opportunity for increased cooperation with our neighboring agencies,” Raithel said. “We’re glad to have you, Chief Green, and thank you for serving Folsom.”
While acknowledging staffing constraints, Raithel was clear about the path ahead.
“While our actual staffing levels are now similar to 2024 levels, we expect to add positions as the city grows,” he said.
The city also opened a police records counter at Station 34 and purchased 1 Natoma Street, a move expected to eliminate long-term leasing costs while expanding investigations, communications and records operations.
“I want to thank the men and women of the Folsom Police Department for responding to over 73,000 calls for service last year and answering 99% of 911 calls within 15 seconds,” Raithel said.
“They also had the largest fentanyl seizure in department history working to keep this dangerous drug off our streets,” he added.
Addressing nuisance properties and homelessness
Raithel highlighted proactive enforcement actions against a nuisance property that generated more than 400 calls for service over a seven-year period.
“The city successfully negotiated an agreement with the incarcerated property owner to sell the property and cover all of the city’s legal costs,” he said, adding that rehabilitation of the property is now underway.
Addressing homelessness, Raithel credited months of outreach and cleanup coordination led by the city’s HOT Team, noting that the city ultimately reached an agreement allowing camps on state-owned parcels to be addressed.
“Thanks to Assemblymember Hoover and Senator Niello for their support and applying urgency in our negotiations with this state agency,” Raithel said.
“This is what effective local government looks like: protecting safe neighborhoods, addressing problem properties, and delivering real results for residents,” he added.
Parks, recreation and community-powered solutions
Raithel emphasized the importance of partnerships in maintaining Folsom’s parks system, noting that the city currently has 49 parks with an average age of 30 years.
“Let’s be honest — I’m still much more of an engineer than I am a politician,” Raithel said, as he underscored the practical realities of maintaining aging facilities.
The mayor highlighted cost-effective partnerships in Parks and Recreation, including the reopening of the city’s bike park through collaboration with the Folsom Auburn Trail Riders Action Coalition, private donors and community volunteers.
Approximately 70 percent of the park had been closed since 2022, and through private fundraising and donated labor the park is expected to fully reopen this summer with minimal taxpayer cost.
Raithel also discussed the decision to eliminate paid staff supervision at the skate park.
“Attendance has increased and we have not seen an increase in calls for service,” he said. “And did I mention we saved $40,000 annually?”
Trails, infrastructure and regional transportation priorities
Raithel detailed ongoing trail expansions across the city, including the White Rock Road Trail connecting Folsom Ranch to El Dorado Hills, expected to open in fall 2026, as well as future Class I trail connections under Highway 50.
The Empire Ranch Interchange remains Folsom’s top regional infrastructure priority. Raithel credited federal, state and regional partners for progress on the project, noting $4 million secured and Caltrans approval to proceed with design, with the goal of breaking ground by 2028.
Additional transportation projects include the Riley Street Safety Improvement Project and Phase II safety improvements at the Folsom Lake Crossing.
Sales tax realities and statewide advocacy
While Folsom’s sales tax revenue has remained largely flat since fiscal 2022, Raithel emphasized the city’s advocacy efforts at the state level.
At his first meeting as an appointee to the League of California Cities Tax and Revenue Policy Committee, Raithel supported a proposal to split online sales tax revenue evenly between fulfillment centers and destination cities.
While the proposal could eventually benefit Folsom, Raithel cautioned that implementation would take time.
“It would likely take five to ten years to phase in, so don’t get excited just yet,” he said.
Education, workforce development and healthcare expansion
Raithel highlighted continued growth within the Folsom Cordova Unified School District, including future school openings planned through 2031, national recognition for Career Technical Education programs and academic and athletic achievements at Folsom High School.
Healthcare expansion emerged as one of the city’s most significant economic drivers, with nearly $500 million invested across Sutter Health, UC Davis, Dignity Health, Kaiser Permanente and Shriners Children’s.
“By my tally, we’re close to half a billion dollars and we’ve got two more in the works,” Raithel said.
He also highlighted the upcoming AC Hotel by Marriott at Palladio, a 130-room development expected to generate more than $300,000 annually in transient occupancy tax revenue.
Celebrating milestones and calling the community forward
Raithel closed by recognizing Folsom’s upcoming milestones, including the city’s 80th anniversary and America’s 250th birthday, and invited residents to participate in community celebrations planned for later this year.
“I stand before you today realizing that each day you make a choice whether to invest your time, your talents and your treasure here in Folsom,” he said. “I encourage you to tell our story far and wide.”
“Folsom is pointed in the right direction,” Raithel added. “We are focused on the right priorities and we will always find the ways to make this city the best place to work, play and raise a family.”
Raithel is serving his second year on the Folsom City Council and his first term as mayor. He represents District 2 and brings a background as a small business owner, licensed professional engineer and longtime community volunteer. His entire address can be read below.
Setting the stage for the Mayor’s address
Prior to Mayor Raithel taking the podium to deliver his address, leaders from across the region joined Choose FolsomCEO Joe Gagliardi in opening the 2026 State of the City event with remarks that underscored Folsom’s collaborative civic culture, strong business climate, and expanding role as a regional healthcare hub.
Following the National Anthem being performed by Kate Gonzalez of Arthur Murray Dance of Folsom, Gagliardi opened the program by recognizing the sponsors, partners, dignitaries and organizational leaders whose financial and in-kind support made the annual State of the City possible, emphasizing that the event itself reflects the strength of Folsom’s public-private partnerships.
“You know, our organization hosts important community events like today’s State of the City with support from our generous partners,” Gagliardi said, as he thanked presenting sponsors Kaiser Permanente and Sacramento County District 4 Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez.
Gagliardi also recognized leadership from the Choose Folsom family of organizations, including board chairs and committee members representing the Folsom Chamber of Commerce, Folsom Economic Development and Folsom Tourism, inviting those who serve on boards and committees to stand and be acknowledged for their time and dedication.
“The strength of the working relationship between the City of Folsom and Choose Folsom is the foundation of our local economy,” Gagliardi said. “Our collaboration blends the efforts of public and private sectors to ensure the best outcomes for Folsom.”
He then welcomed dignitaries and elected officials in attendance, including Congressman Kevin Kiley, Senator Roger Niello, Assemblymember Josh Hoover, SMUD Board Member Greg Fishman, Folsom Cordova Unified School District Board Member YK Chalamcherla, members of the Folsom City Council and city leadership, as well as Folsom Lake College President Art Pimentel.
Gagliardi next introduced Sacramento County District 4 Supervisor Rosario Rodriguez, a Folsom resident and chair of the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors, who addressed the audience on the county’s partnership with Folsom’s business community.
“Strong cities are built on strong businesses, and Folsom has long understood that supporting job creators strengthens families and the entire region,” Rodriguez said. She described Folsom as a place where businesses of all sizes — from startups to major employers — are able to succeed, noting that economic strength translates directly into investments in public safety, infrastructure, housing and essential services.
“From the county’s perspective, Folsom is a strategic partner in building a competitive regional economy,” Rodriguez said. “On behalf of Sacramento County, my commitment is clear: to support a strong business climate, smart economic development, and a partnership that helps employees grow and succeed.”
Rodriguez also acknowledged members of her county team in attendance and thanked city leadership and Choose Folsom for their continued collaboration, concluding by expressing appreciation for being part of Folsom’s continued story.
Following those remarks, Gagliardi introduced Kim Menzel, senior vice president and area manager for Kaiser Permanente’s Roseville area, who spoke on behalf of the event’s presenting sponsor and highlighted Kaiser Permanente’s long-standing presence and continued investment in the Folsom community.
Menzel noted that Kaiser Permanente has served Folsom residents for more than 25 years, growing alongside the community and responding to increased demand for healthcare services.
“We are excited to announce that we will be opening an urgent care — the first one here in Folsom — at our medical office building, opening March 23,” Menzel said. She explained the new facility will serve as a bridge to a larger urgent care within a new comprehensive care center, with groundbreaking expected toward the end of the first quarter of the year.
Menzel emphasized Kaiser Permanente’s integrated care model and its role in delivering timely, coordinated care to patients, adding that the organization is proud to be part of Folsom’s continued growth.
Gagliardi returned to the podium to formally introduce Raithel as the event’s featured speaker, highlighting his background in community service, volunteer leadership and civic involvement, as well as his progression from City Council member to vice mayor and now mayor, before welcoming him to the stage to deliver the 2026 State of the City address.
In Choose Folsom tradition, Wednesday’s event concluded with Gagliardi announcing the 2026 Grand Marshal of the Folsom Pro Rodeo, which is longtime developer and business icon Harry Elliot.
“This is a person who, by my calculation (as Justin would say), has invested over a billion dollars in our community. He has been here through thick and thin. As everyone mentioned today, he was responsible for guiding us through the recession at Palladio and so much more.”
Folsom Mayor Justin Raithel’s 2026 State of the City Address
January 27, 2026 courtesy of Folsom Times
Good afternoon, Folsom! I am deeply honored to serve as your mayor this year and to be able to share with you the State of Our Incredible City.
I’d also like to take a moment and acknowledge my fiancée, Tara Baird. I am sure her transitional kindergartners over at Blanche Sprentz are missing her today, so I thank you for being here and for your support this year as I represent the city. This is Tara’s second year teaching here in the Folsom Cordova School District and so I get to see firsthand the great work our teachers do in Folsom schools each and every day. Thank you to all of our educators for the work you do to prepare our youth for the journey ahead.
As I reflected on today’s speech, I wanted to share a bit of my own personal history with the State of the City. In fact, I wouldn’t be standing here today if it wasn’t for this tradition. Eighteen years ago, I boarded a plane from London to Sacramento, having never been to Northern California. We came seeking the outdoor lifestyle and fertile ground for our new small business. We were armed with demographic data from the internet and six months of corporate housing. Data had driven us to Sacramento, but we bounced around, opening our first location in Cameron Park, moving to Arden for a bit, joining a couple Chambers of Commerce and buying a house in El Dorado Hills. Not sure if you all remember 2008, but not many folks were looking to start small businesses at that time.
In January 2009, then-Folsom Mayor Steve Miklos gave the State of the City address and acknowledged the Great Recession’s impact on Folsom. He also shared that the Palladio was still under construction when most big developments had come to a screeching halt. He shared that Cal-ISO’s new facility was moving forward, that the Sutter Streetscape project was underway, that Folsom Ranch annexation was proceeding according to voter-approved guidelines, and the Folsom Lake Crossing would soon be open. Many of you who have led or contributed to these projects are here in this room today, and I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge you. Personally, I’ll never forget Harry Elliot continuing to invest in Folsom and the Palladio when the economic future seemed very uncertain. These iconic projects shaped the city we know today and were delivered during a period of steep declines in tax revenues when the city had to draw on reserves. Mayor Miklos shared a story of Folsom’s resilience and a bright future for its residents and businesses despite the challenges.
So, here I am, almost 20 years later, and I really hope there are a couple future Folsom business owners here in the audience today, making that important decision about whether Folsom is the right place to open shop or to expand their business. I think once I share the good news and where we are headed, that decision should be much easier for you to choose Folsom.
Thanks for joining me and now let’s dive in. At last year’s State of the City event, Sarah introduced our new City Manager Bryan Whitemyer and outlined some big challenges we needed to work on together. Bryan’s financial, leadership and problem-solving skills were vital as we navigated a $3 million general fund shortfall. For many years, the city has projected a structural deficit without a sustainable, long-term solution. Our resources have been strained trying to provide the same high level of service to our residents and the results have been a growing backlog of deferred maintenance and increasing PERS payments to deal with our unfunded future liabilities.
The City of Folsom has $1.2 billion worth of assets on the books but has spent on average just under $14 million per year to maintain them. Typical maintenance of assets runs from 2% to 5% of the asset value, but Folsom has been spending just 1.1% per year. This is unsustainable and has led to more expensive emergency repairs on our aging infrastructure. While we might not be able to fix this underinvestment overnight, Bryan’s plan establishes dedicated funding for renovations and asset replacement, helping us move from reactive fixes to proactive planning and long-term financial sustainability. So while City Manager Whitemyer initially asked us to approve using reserves to cover the shortfall, he brought back $5 million in service reorganizations and staff reductions to cover the budget deficit and realize savings in the years ahead. Living Within Our Means will not be easy, but it is the right way to run a household, and it’s also the right way to run our city. Thank you to Bryan but also to Mayor Aquino for her leadership during these community discussions.
This year we’ll see a $1.6 million investment in our library to replace the leaking roof and the HVAC system, which are both original and reaching 20 years old. Our library stands out amongst its peers with the highest circulation in Sacramento County, hosting just shy of 200,000 visitors throughout the year and circulating over 400,000 items. They do this with per capita operational funding at about half of our regional peers. I also want to give a big shoutout to the volunteers on Community Service Day and the Friends of the Folsom Library for helping freshen up the wallpaper to keep our library looking great. And to the State of California, thanks for the grant for the new Wi-Fi. You’ll hear this story often throughout my speech – tax dollars play a role, private donations play a role, and state and federal grants play a role. It makes sense to maximize all of our funding sources to ensure Folsom’s public amenities stay top-notch.
Folsom continues to prioritize public safety as our top commitment to our residents. In our Fire Department, 2025 saw the retirement of longtime Fire Chief Ken Cusano. I want to take a moment to thank Jason Solak, a Folsom resident of 24 years, for stepping in as our interim Fire Chief. His leadership during this time has been invaluable and we are blessed to have him until we find our next Chief.
Last year, we took delivery of five ambulances, a ladder truck and two fire engines. We ordered this equipment on average four years ago and it means we’re running three all new ambulances each day with two in reserve for special events and maintenance. We also now have redundancy for our ladder truck closing a significant service gap for our city.
We had some tough decisions to make in 2025. After a lot of public discussion on our budget and our priorities, we reassigned fire apparatus throughout our city, including the browning out of an engine company to save money, reduce the overtime strain on our firefighters, and to get our third ambulance fully back in service. These discussions made it clear we had work to do on improving our data collection and reporting. Late last year, we contracted a firm to provide data analysis, and this year we are transitioning to a new records management system so we can provide robust neighborhood-level performance data on our fire and emergency medical services. We also established an ad-hoc committee with Sac Metro’s fire board to explore regional collaboration and partnership models to see if we can lower costs while maintaining our high level of service. Because nearly 80% of our calls are medical, we plan to introduce single-role paramedics this year, whose primary focus is medical response rather than fire suppression, to better match how we serve the community.
So while we are working on improving efficiency, let me assure you we have an incredible team of firefighters. Each year, they respond to over 10,000 calls for service and log over 11,000 hours of training. We continue our commitment to providing Advanced Life Support for all Folsom Fire Department responses, and I am grateful for the service and sacrifice of the men and women of the Folsom Fire Department.
Moving over to our men and women in blue, we also had some hard discussions on cost savings and some unfilled positions were eliminated. The City Council approved a new MOU with the Folsom Police Officers Association to help attract and retain police officers as we were having a difficult time filling open positions. While our actual staffing levels are now similar to 2024 levels, we expect to add positions as the city grows.
I would be remiss if I didn’t take a moment and acknowledge the recent discrimination lawsuit settlements reported on in the media. My colleagues and I have approved four settlements and one workers compensation claim without admission of fault, totaling just over $1 million. I don’t want to sugarcoat this: these lawsuits were serious, costly to taxpayers, and we have taken concrete steps to ensure we do better moving forward. Our city leadership is committed to ensuring all employees are treated with dignity and that any accusations are investigated promptly and fully in the future.
2025 also included a transition in our Police Department’s leadership. After Chief Hillman’s retirement, we were blessed to have Folsom resident Randy Ulibarri step in to lead the department for a second time as interim Chief. At the end of 2025, we welcomed Adam Green as our new Police Chief. Chief Green comes to Folsom after 24 years with the Sacramento Police Department where he most recently served as Deputy Chief. Chief Green has a long list of accomplishments and executive level trainings, but most importantly, he brings his strong record of ethical leadership, and he offers an opportunity for increased cooperation with our neighboring agencies. We’re glad to have you, Chief Green, and thank you for serving Folsom.
We also opened a police records counter down at Station 34 and purchased 1 Natoma St. across from the police station. With the increased needs of our police department as the city grows, PD had already been leasing extra space. Purchasing an existing building realized substantial cost savings over a new build and also ends our ongoing leasing costs. In 2026, Investigations will be moved over to the new facility, freeing up space for an expanded communications center and records center at the main facility.
I want to thank the men and women of the Folsom Police Department for responding to over 73,000 calls for service last year and answering 99% of 911 calls within 15 seconds. They also had the largest fentanyl seizure in department history working to keep this dangerous drug off our streets. Your work 24/7, 365 days a year does not go unnoticed and we appreciate you.
In 2025, Folsom was again ranked as one of the safest suburbs in the country by the financial services provider SmartAsset. However, we occasionally have properties that are used for illegal purposes and can cause their neighbors significant distress. Last year, we instigated civil litigation against a property where we had over 400 calls for service in the last seven years. The proactive steps we took to resolve the problem were from City Manager Whitemyer’s playbook in Oakdale and it was a game changer for this neighborhood. The city successfully negotiated an agreement with the incarcerated property owner to sell the property and cover all of the city’s legal costs. I am pleased to report that the rehabilitation of this property is underway.
A year ago, we were also talking a lot about homeless encampments in Folsom. While the Grants Pass decision by the Supreme Court had allowed us to start cleaning up our public and open spaces, we struggled with some state properties where they did not have funding for cleanup and we didn’t have the authority to intervene. After months of work by our HOT Team, we signed an agreement allowing us to clean up camps on the state parcels. Thanks to Assemblymember Hoover and Senator Niello for their support and applying urgency in our negotiations with this state agency.
This is what effective local government looks like: protecting safe neighborhoods, addressing problem properties, and delivering real results for residents. That same commitment carries over to how we care for our parks and recreation facilities.
Back in 2024, I met with Folsom Parks & Recreation staff and reviewed the $600,000 proposal they had received to get the bike park fixed up and back to being fully open. Approximately 70% of the park had been closed off in 2022, and there were no funds available to invest in this older park. Last year, we got creative. Parks and Rec partnered with Folsom Auburn Trail Riders Action Coalition (FATRAC) to bring back the original designer of the park, Randy Spangler, to redesign and fix the park up. Through fundraising by FATRAC and a generous donation from Claudia Cummings, the bike park will fully reopen this summer with almost no cost to the taxpayer. Some local Folsom businesses have also stepped up, and the plan is to maintain the park going forward with private funds and volunteer hours from FATRAC.
Last year was also a good reminder that sometimes in government, what you choose not to do can be just as important as what you choose to do. My colleagues and I decided to end paid staff supervision at the skate park. Since we were no longer trying to limit staffing costs, this meant Folsom’s residents could now use the park anytime as long as the weather cooperated. Attendance has increased and we have not seen an increase in calls for service. And did I mention we saved $40,000 annually?
Thinking back to the Bernie Sanders rally over at Folsom Lake College back in April, I want to bring this event up for an important decision that came out of it. The city received less than a week’s notice for the event, and historically required special event permits at least 30 days in advance for events that could impact public facilities. A question from our new City Manager prompted us to reconsider why the city was requiring permits for events held on private property. As a result, we eliminated the special event permit requirement for events not held on city property, since the liability does not rest with the city. The event drew a large crowd, and aside from increased traffic, there were no issues. Moving forward, the City of Folsom is focusing its resources on core responsibilities while getting out of the way when others choose to host events in our community.
2025 was a banner year for the public-private partnership we have with the Friends of Folsom Parkways. They took over the Adopt-a-Trail program and every trail segment available has been adopted to date – 41 segments in all. Each month, 115 hours of volunteer time are donated to keep our trails beautiful. But don’t worry if you want to get in on the trail adoption; we’re building plenty of new trails, with nine more miles completed in 2025, and we will have six new segments up for adoption in the Mangini Ranch / Regency area by this summer. A side note: construction of some of these new trails were delivered by a different public-private partnership with Toll Brothers. The Friends of the Folsom Parkways have also put in 661 volunteer hours in brush clearing and ladder fuel reduction work having a huge impact on the Humbug Willow Creek Trail System, Hinkle Creek and Natoma Station trails.
Our new Major Projects guide has a section dedicated to the upcoming trail network expansions. The White Rock Road Trail connecting Folsom Ranch to El Dorado Hills is expected to open in fall 2026. And 2027 will see the Class I trails under Highway 50 at Placerville Road and the rail trail improvements along East Bidwell from Oak Avenue to Iron Point Road. Folsom’s impressive network of trails continues to expand and be a source of pride and connection for our city.
So what public-private partnerships are next? A pickleball expansion and resurfacing is in the works for Lembi Park, in cooperation with the Folsom Pickleball Club. And those of us with kids in soccer know we need one with SURF to get our fields back in shape. Folsom, we’re working on it.
This spring break we will be rebuilding the beloved Castle Park. Originally built by the community, we will be rebuilding this park WITH the community. My Rotary Club of Folsom helped remove the old playground structures on our last Community Service Day, site work has been in progress, and soon it will be time to get out your hammers and drills to build for our next generation. Our total cost on this project will be about $1 million with roughly $700,000 coming from the General Fund and $150,000 from donors organized by Folsom resident and volunteer extraordinaire Joanne Brausch. You can still order those fence posts with your name on them until the end of the month. Using some volunteer labor will help bring the project on quicker and cheaper and I am proud that Folsom is willing to roll up our sleeves to get this done.
When I was campaigning for Measure G, people asked what happens if it fails? My answer then is the same as it is now: you are all going to be asked to kick in a bit more to keep our parks and recreation amenities in good shape for Folsom’s youth. Folsom is answering the call, and we are committed to partnering with non-profits, businesses, and residents to help renovate and maintain our amenities. We have 49 parks throughout the city with an average age of 30 years. So our parks are on average past their life expectancy and we have to start renovating our parks or we will be removing amenities in the years ahead.
New park construction is funded from development impact fees and we have many projects in the works. After feedback from Folsom Ranch residents, Neighborhood Park #1 was prioritized as the next park in the Folsom Plan Area. Community workshops are being held, and design will kick off this year. We are also re-analyzing the costs to deliver all of the Folsom Plan Area parks and will introduce a way to track and adjust so we aren’t leaving the last park spaces undeveloped due to a lack of funds.
Livermore Park Phase 5 will be completed in 2026, adding in 62 much-needed parking stalls and a trail connection. Amenities for Benevento Park in Empire Ranch will be decided soon, and design will be underway this year. Thank you to the community for providing lots of input and to Parks and Rec staff for being responsive to both the immediate neighbors and all of the future users of this important park.
The Folsom Water Vision, a 50-year strategic plan for Folsom’s water, was completed, highlighting our strong water rights and abundant supply. The Vision identified projects that would increase resilience during droughts and redundancy for critical equipment. The Environmental and Water Resources department was also renamed back to the Utilities Department, highlighting the core services they provide to Folsom residents such as water, wastewater and trash collection.
In August, Rebecca Neves was named as our new Public Works Director while continuing to serve as our City Engineer. Rebecca has a strong background in project delivery and regional collaboration.
Our top regional infrastructure priority continues to be the Empire Ranch Interchange and we are making progress on its delivery. Large projects like this don’t get done without federal, state and regional support. I want to thank Congressman Kiley for securing $4 million toward this project already and for ensuring our project is a top priority for federal funding. Last year we worked with the Sacramento Area Council of Governments to get our future interchange added to the Regional Project Priority List which means better state and federal advocacy for reducing traffic on East Bidwell. And this month, we received approval from Caltrans to proceed with design. We will be working tirelessly this year to secure funding and get our project shovel ready so we can break ground by 2028.
We also received federal funds for the Riley Street Safety Improvement Project for better pedestrian connections between the Historic District and the Central Business District including Sutter Middle School. Design is underway with construction anticipated in 2027. Congressman Kiley also secured over $1 million for Phase II of the Folsom Lake Crossing safety improvements, and 2026 will see the extension of the metal median barrier along with improvements to increase driver awareness.
Down in Folsom Ranch, Alder Creek Parkway is a top focus to get traffic over to Prairie City Road which will be improved as development moves west.
Last fiscal year, Folsom’s sales tax came in below projections and has essentially been flat since fiscal 2022. Without any distribution and fulfillment centers, Folsom loses in the shift to online sales. While the expectation is for sales tax to start growing again from 1% to 2% per year, it is not keeping pace with inflation or the cost to provide municipal services. Last Thursday, I had my first meeting as an appointee to the League of California Cities Tax and Revenue Policy Committee. There, we supported a proposal that is gaining traction to change how sales tax is distributed. Under this proposal, online sales tax would be split 50/50 between the fulfillment center and the destination. While Folsom is estimated to receive 20% more sales tax in this proposal, it would require a constitutional amendment and would likely take five to 10 years to phase in so don’t get excited just yet. We are advocating for our interests long term but it is not our shorter-term solution. I will continue to work with the California League of Cities to build support for this in the year ahead.
On the advocacy front, we are also working with the League on a smaller change in state law which would allocate more online sales directly to the city from our countywide pool. And we are working closely with Assemblymember Hoover on a cleanup bill to protect our historic district from the intense housing development that SB 79 authorized near transit stops.
While sales tax revenue has remained flat, broader economic indicators continue to show a strong local economy. Folsom continues to be a magnet for people looking to put down roots in the Sacramento region, with single-family resale homes selling on average for $374 per square foot, and a median sales price of $831,000. Many of those buying here in Folsom cite our excellent schools as a strong factor in their decision.
Our school district continues to be one of the few growing school districts in California. The district has plans to open Granite Springs Elementary School in 2028, Buffalo Creek High School in 2029, and Prairie City Middle School in 2031. These estimates are based on home sales and funding availability but we’re excited for these new facilities. Folsom’s Career Technical Education programs are also providing new and exciting career paths for students. Last year, Folsom High School’s Manufacturing Program led by Andrew Bias received national acclaim with student Jacob Wollwerth bringing home our first-ever gold national title from the SkillsUSA National Conference. And did I mention our Folsom High School football team are now six-time state champions? And they took the title with their backup quarterback?
2025 was a boom year for our healthcare systems, cementing Folsom as a regional healthcare hub. In June, Sutter Health broke ground on their 106,000-square-foot medical office building with an expected opening date in mid-2027. The Sutter Health Folsom Care Complex will include a cancer center, an outpatient surgery center, an expanded Sutter Urgent Care and more than two dozen specialty physicians.
UC Davis opened their 112,000-square-foot outpatient center/medical office in September and it’s beautiful both inside and out. This is just the first phase for UC Davis as they have plans for almost 300,000 more square feet on the site. A month after UC Davis opened, on a very rainy day in October, our long-term healthcare partner Dignity Health broke ground on their 90,000-square-foot Advanced Ambulatory Care Center in Folsom Ranch. This is the first of five phases and they have plans for 400,000 more square feet in the future.
Is anyone keeping track of the healthcare investment? By my tally, we’re close to half a billion dollars and we’ve got two more in the works. Kaiser’s 27,000-square-foot expansion is being reviewed by the city and should start construction this year with an anticipated 2028 opening. Also in 2028, Kaiser will start construction on their 183,000-square-foot medical office building. And in March, Shriners Children’s Northern California will open their very first off-campus clinic right here in Folsom on Creekside.
One of my favorite ribbon cuttings of 2025 was the Habitat for Humanity project where 10 affordable homes were sold to families who qualified for a 0% interest, 30-year loan and who put in at least 500 hours of sweat equity. This project was developed on land that was owned by the City of Folsom, but the affordable housing trust fund fully reimbursed our general fund for the land value. We now have 10 new homeowning families in Folsom and we are looking for opportunities to use this model again in the future.
Semiconductor companies continue to be a major employer here in Folsom. Intel has started marketing the sale of their campus but has committed to leasing back over 1 million square feet for the next 12 years. AMD recently leased 28,000 square feet next to Intel establishing a more permanent location here. And Micron, Samsung, and Moneta Ventures-backed Azimuth AI are all taking advantage of our strong local talent pool in this industry. A couple weeks ago, a city team and I met with Kratos who just leased a 35,000-square-foot building in the Blue Ravine Business Park. They have submitted plans to bring their high-tech manufacturing here to Folsom and are bringing 80-100 engineering and manufacturing jobs to town.
I want to take a moment and acknowledge the incredible work Choose Folsom does in helping businesses get started here. Folsom’s economy is strong and I thank you all for spending your dollars locally.
In 2026, we also have a number of new businesses opening including the AC Hotel by Marriott at the Palladio. This 130-guestroom hotel will take the total hotel rooms in Folsom up over 1,000 total hotel rooms and bring in over $300,000 per year in transient occupancy tax that will be reinvested in our community.
And for some external validation, last June Folsom was ranked fifth in the nation by the Social Progress Map. This ranking isn’t based on economic wealth but by the opportunities people have to thrive including basic needs, education, safety and housing. Way to go, Folsom.
I know today I have been pretty raw about the challenges we face as a city. Let’s be honest – I’m still much more of an engineer than I am a politician. But with all of these challenges, not a day goes by where I don’t hear from someone how amazing Folsom is to do business in, to visit, or to call home. We live in a truly special city and we have lots to celebrate.
This year is America’s 250th birthday and Folsom’s rodeo tradition will be better than ever to commemorate our great nation. This year is also Folsom’s 80th birthday and I want to invite you to our throwback birthday party on May 9. It will be a family-friendly event next to the library and we are bringing back the snail races for one year only in partnership with the Folsom Athletic Association.
I stand before you today realizing that each day you make a choice whether to invest your time, your talents and your treasure here in Folsom. I see a bright future for our community and I encourage you to tell our story far and wide. Folsom is pointed in the right direction, we are focused on the right priorities and we will always find the ways to make this city the best place to work, play and raise a family.
Copyright © 2026, Folsom Times, a digital product of All Town Media LLC. All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
