Folsom moves charter changes on city attorney, campaign finance toward Nov. ballot
After months of debate, Folsom City Council advanced three proposed amendments to the city charter that are likely to go before voters in November. The measures would affect the city attorney’s office, campaign finance rules and city procedures.
The proposed amendments won 4-1 approval on first reading, with Councilmember Sarah Aquino casting the lone dissenting vote. If approved by voters, the changes would have the city attorney report directly to the City Council rather than the city manager, increase individual campaign contribution limits to $500 and allow the City Council to delegate authority to boards and commissions by ordinance.
The change involving the city attorney would also have a trickle effect on the city’s organizational structure. Employees who report to the city attorney would no longer fall under the city manager and instead would report through the city attorney office.
The campaign finance increase gained support from council members who said it would help level the playing field between candidates who receive support from independent expenditures funded by political action committees, which more than doubled from 2022 to 2024. The proposal originally called for an increase to $750, but it was reduced to $500 after receiving public input. The current individual contribution limit is $150, while independent expenditures are unlimited.
Meanwhile, the proposal to allow the City Council to delegate authority to boards and commissions would let some proposals be approved at that level instead of coming before the City Council. Currently, those bodies are advisory only, which city officials said opens the city up to lawsuits.
Council members will vote on the amendments a second time to finalize the proposals before placing the measures on the November ballot. The final vote is scheduled for July 14, according to the meeting packet.
Aquino voted against the proposal because of higher election costs imposed by Sacramento County. Initially, Folsom expected it to cost between $8,500 and $9,000 to place each ballot measure. However, new estimates highlighted in the meeting packet show the cost would be $107,400 for all three measures.
According to the meeting packet, the Sacramento County Registrar of Voters Office plans to charge $83,000 for the first ballot measure and about $12,200 for each additional item. That is up from 2024, when placing Measure G and elections for two City Council positions on the ballot cost $61,145.
“I don’t necessarily disagree with any of these,” Aquino said. “It’s just that in light of the increased cost from the county ... to put these on the ballot, I don’t think these are pressing enough to spend that money.”
Although the proposed ballot measures must be approved by the City Council before they can appear on the ballot, the council did not originate them. The 2026 Ad Hoc Charter Review Committee proposed the changes.
Eight proposals were presented to the council before the list was narrowed to three. The eliminated proposals addressed term limits, obsolete language, automatic City Council salary adjustments, reaffirming district-based elections and contracting out city services.
