Folsom City Council dumps proposal to cut voters out of outsourcing decisions
Folsom City Council members backed away Tuesday from a proposed charter amendment that would have shifted authority over outsourcing city services from voters to the council after several residents urged them to reject the measure.
The proposal, recommended by the Ad Hoc Charter Commission, would have removed voters in the city from decisions involving the sale, lease or contracting out of city-owned services.
More than 10 speakers urged the council to preserve voters’ control over decisions involving city-owned enterprises, including the possibility of privatizing solid waste services.
“Some decisions are big, and you should involve the electorate in that,” resident Brad Shelton said during public comment.
The four members of the council — Councilmember Mike Kozlowski was absent — chose not to advance the outsourcing amendment and instead narrowed its focus to three other proposed charter changes involving the city attorney, boards and commissions, and campaign contribution limits.
The three items, according to City Manager Bryan Whitemyer, that remain under consideration are:
- Requiring the city attorney to report directly to the City Council rather than the city manager.
- Removing language that states city boards and commissions are only advisory to the City Council, allowing the council to assign responsibilities to those bodies by ordinance.
- Increasing the individual campaign contribution limit to $750 from $150.
City staff will also provide updated information on the cost of placing charter amendments on the ballot in November. The May 12 City Council agenda packet estimated the cost at about $9,000, but Whitemyer said the city has since received information indicating the cost may be higher.
For the proposed individual campaign contribution limit amendment, the City Council may discuss changing the dollar amount to be greater than $150 but less than $750.
“I think $750 would be too big of a jump,” Vice Mayor Anna Rohrbough said during the meeting. “I would say going from (a) $150 limit to $300 or $500 would be much more amenable.”
During the public hearing, residents said a $750 contribution limit would favor wealthier donors over those with fewer financial resources.
The city services debate
Folsom’s charter currently gives voters final authority over decisions to sell, lease, contract out or franchise city-owned enterprises. The proposed amendment would have transferred that authority to the City Council.
Whitemyer has said the change would streamline the bidding process with prospective contractors as the city considers the future of its solid waste services. He said Folsom must convert to an electric fleet to comply with state emissions requirements, a change that would require significant investment.
“This is a huge cost especially when you figure that the city will have to spend millions of dollars to build a massive charging facility to accommodate the large garbage trucks and meet the future state requirement,” Whitemyer previous wrote in an email. “That cost will be borne by the Folsom (solid waste) ratepayers.”
Whitemyer has said the current requirement for voter approval could lengthen the bidding process and could result in a higher bill.
Residents who opposed the proposal said they were concerned about long-term costs and service quality.
“Once ... we’re locked into multi-year contracts, they become difficult and expensive to reverse,” resident Shelly Hudson told council members Tuesday night.
What’s next?
The City Council’s next meeting is scheduled for May 26.
If necessary, discussion of the proposed charter amendments can continue at the June 9 meeting, according to Tuesday’s staff presentation. A final public hearing is scheduled for June 23, followed by a final vote July 14 on which, if any, amendments the council will place on the ballot.
If the City Council places an amendment on the ballot, the charter would not change unless Folsom voters approve the measure. Voters have final authority over all charter amendments.
