Folsom council approves $4 million in budget cuts, reassigns fire apparatus and asks community to help reduce zoo subsidy

The Folsom City Council approved a package of general fund cost‑saving measures on Sept. 23, 2025, voting 5-0 to accept staff recommendations that would eliminate 20 full‑time equivalent (FTE) positions, reassign fire apparatus and direct further study of the city‑subsidized Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary.

City Manager (unnamed in the public record) told the council the measures are Phase 1 of a broader program to close a projected structural budget gap. The manager said the recommended actions and reorganization moves are intended to reduce the general‑fund draw while staff pursues additional revenue and reassignments of costs to special funds where appropriate.

Why it matters: the package targets pensionable staffing and service delivery that affect public safety, information technology and some community amenities. Council members and many residents pressed staff for performance data — particularly emergency response times — and for clear timelines and community engagement on the future of the zoo, which is heavily subsidized by the general fund.

Staff presentation and key details

City staff told the council the city’s fiscal year 2024–25 results show revenues roughly in line with budget but rising expenditures have eroded the fund balance percentage. The manager summarized proposed Phase 1 actions as a reduction of 20 FTEs (five of which are currently filled), a reorganization of four departments (Community Development, Public Works, Environmental Water Resources, Parks & Recreation), and changes to several support services.

Notable personnel and program items described by staff include: - Eliminating or leaving vacant multiple IT positions (including GIS roles) and hiring a temporary municipal IT management firm for an initial six‑month audit and transition before an RFP for long‑term services; staff estimate contractor costs will be about $80,000–$90,000 less than continuing current staff costs for those functions. - Eliminating a filled legal secretary position; reducing library FTEs by one (an unfilled position); and other reclassifications within Library services. - Eliminating seven vacant fire department positions (including five firefighter positions and one senior equipment mechanic) and reassigning apparatus across stations, described below. - Reducing police staffing by four funded officer positions, one lieutenant vacancy not being filled after retirement, and two community service officer positions.

Fire apparatus reassignment and “browning out” an engine

Fire Chief Ken Kusano described a stepped apparatus reassignment plan that will “brown out” (staff‑remove) one engine company while moving other apparatus between stations to preserve capabilities. Specific moves described by the chief and city manager: - Move Tiller Truck 35 from Station 35 to Station 34 (it would be re‑designated Tiller Truck 34). - The engine currently at Station 34 would be removed from daily staffing and become a reserve engine. - The engine at Station 38 would move to Station 35 and be re‑designated Engine 35. - Medic units: once seven firefighter/paramedic recruits complete training, Medic 36 will be returned to service at Station 36 and Medic 35 will be relocated to Station 38 (becoming Medic 38).

Kusano and staff emphasized that all front‑line apparatus in Folsom are ALS (advanced life support) capable and that engines and trucks carry life‑saving medical equipment even though ambulances perform patient transport. The chief and city manager said the implementation will be delayed a few weeks beyond the originally targeted Oct. 1 date so newly trained personnel complete their field‑training program and so no station is left unstaffed during the transition.

Council and public questions sought baseline metrics. Chief Kusano reported the citywide average response time “around 6 minutes and 32 seconds” at the time of the meeting and said staff will provide more granular station‑level and comparative regional response data for council review. The city manager recommended staff return six months after implementation with before/after response metrics.

Folsom City Zoo Sanctuary discussion and next steps

The city manager presented the zoo as a long‑running community asset that “is heavily subsidized by the city's general fund.” Staff revised earlier figures in the meeting packet and said the zoo’s subsidy for the current year is estimated at about $1.6 million (lower than an earlier figure of $1.8 million shown in the packet). The manager said staff are not recommending immediate closure and instead urged community involvement to reduce or eliminate the subsidy over time, including nonprofit governance or public‑private partnership models.

Several members of the zoo’s volunteer organization, Friends of the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary, and docent and volunteer leaders told the council they are hiring a consultant (Robinette Economics, per public comment) to develop an economic plan and governance options; Friends said the consultant will present findings in February 2026. Friends’ representatives said their group has donated more than $1.5 million to the sanctuary over its history and continues to grow fundraising and programming.

Public reaction and council direction

Dozens of speakers addressed the budget item. Speakers urged protecting public safety coverage (particularly residents South of Highway 50), preserving the library and parks maintenance, and exploring revenue options such as stormwater fees, public safety Community Facilities Districts (CFDs), transient‑occupancy tax mechanisms, surplus property sales and other assessments. Volunteer groups including Friends of Folsom Parkways described how volunteer labor leverages city maintenance staff and urged continued city support for trails and fuel‑reduction projects.

Council action and vote

The council voted 5‑0 to approve Resolution No. 11463 implementing Phase 1 cost‑saving measures, including the fire apparatus reassignment plan, the elimination of 20 FTEs as recommended by staff, and the direction to pursue the reorganization and further Phase 2 proposals. The motion was made and seconded on the floor; the vote was recorded as: - Councilmember Kozlowski — Yes - Councilmember Leary — Yes - Vice Mayor Raffel — Yes - Councilmember Rorbaugh — Yes - Mayor Sarah Aquino — Yes

What the action does and does not do

- It authorizes implementation of the Phase 1 staffing and apparatus changes described in staff materials, subject to labor‑agreement processes for any filled positions. Staff said layoff notices would follow only if the council affirms the plan. - It does not close the zoo, nor does it finalize Phase 2 programmatic changes (parks, community development and public works reorganizations will return Oct. 14, 2025, for detailed review). - Staff committed to return with detailed before/after performance metrics — notably station‑level response times and call volumes — to let the council and public evaluate the operational impact.

Ending

Council members said they recognize the difficulty of the decisions and thanked staff and volunteers for participation and for ongoing analysis. Staff and volunteer groups committed to continued outreach, with Friends of the Folsom Zoo Sanctuary and the city’s consultant expected to provide recommendations on zoo governance by February 2026.