Endorsement Statements

Hal Baker, Folsom Police
Folsom Police are the best in the region. They support and protect you. Now, our Police services need your support to maintain our safe community. They are truly Folsom’s finest. Help maintain that excellence and Vote YES ON MEASURE G.

Jordan Banning. Assistant Head Coach, State Champion Folsom Bulldogs
As lifelong residents of Folsom, my wife and I are proud to call this community our home. I serve as the Associate Head Coach of the State Champion Folsom Bulldogs and run my own consulting business, while my wife is a local real estate professional. Together, we are raising our young family here. Folsom holds a special place in our hearts, and we are committed to preserving the attributes that make it an extraordinary place to live. Supporting our local Police and Fire departments, along with investing in our Parks and Trails, is essential for maintaining a safe and vibrant community for our children. We believe in keeping our tax dollars local to directly impact the places that matter most in Folsom. Support for this initiative is crucial in ensuring a bright future for our town.

Jim Carlsen
Folsom is a special place to work and raise a family. My wife Beth and I have done both for many, many years. We have had the opportunity to participate and contribute to our community, including building the Sports Complex, helping with the Jr. Bulldogs field, assisting Powerhouse Ministries, and many other important Folsom amenities. We must invest in Folsom to keep it the place that we all know and love. I support this important special sales tax measure because it helps fund the essential services that make this a great town. Please join me in and vote Yes on Measure G.

Dan Carson, Folsom Firefighter/Paramedic
“Being born and raised in Folsom, and now having the privilege to serve the community as a Firefighter with the City of Folsom is a great honor. I support Measure G to keep Folsom the safe and distinguished city we all love.”

Bruce Cline, Folsom Resident, Former Folsom City Attorney, Folsom Takes Action Co-Chair
YES ON MEASURE G – I have lived in Folsom for over 34 years. Folsom, like virtually all cities, is facing a significant financial challenge due to declining revenues and increasing expenses that are outside the City’s control. Online shopping and changing buying habits result in declining sales tax. The city’s revenue problem impacts our safety, parks and trails and the City of Folsom needs our help. I support MEASURE G because it assures our sales tax dollars are spent on the Essential Services that we need in Folsom and ONLY in Folsom. The small cost of a 1% increase in the sales tax rate will ensure we have the Folsom Police and Fire Services we need and money will be available for our desperately needed park and trail renovations. We have fewer police officers today than we did in 2008 – that is not acceptable for a safe community! We are putting NO MONEY into parks and trail renovation because the revenue is not there. We must keep our money in Folsom. No money goes to the State, County or Feds from this measure and 40% is generated by visitors who use our city services and we want their investment and not all shouldered by residents. One percent goes a long ways to protect the quality of life we all enjoy. Join me and Vote YES ON MEASURE G.

Sandy Econome
I believe we can all agree that Folsom is an amazing place to live, to work, and to play. I want the Folsom that I know and love to be the Folsom that my grandchildren will know and love. Is this what you hope for too? How can we make it happen? The bottom line is that we need more revenue.

My endorsement for Measure G is largely based on my experience working with the City of Rancho Cordova since they passed their own 1% sales tax in 2014. The impact for them has been far-reaching and meaningful to all residents as monies have been spent to improve the library, senior center, youth center, various neighborhoods and parks, streets and increase the fire and police departments. This list should seem quite familiar, as our beloved City of Folsom has very similar needs. We must support police, fire, parks/trails and essential services to assure the Quality of Life that we all know and expect. The revenue measure  has worked well for the City of Rancho Cordova, and I have no doubt it would work just as well for the City of Folsom.

I am confident that Folsom’s solution to maintaining and improving our services and amenities, and providing an even more amazing place for our grandchildren, is to support our essential services. Please join me in Voting YES on Measure G.

Robert Goss, Folsom Resident, Former Folsom Parks & Recreation Director, Folsom Takes Action Co-Chair
Anyone who knows me knows my passion for our parks and recreation system, trails and open space. However, I’m not supporting this effort just for the benefit of my passions. I’m supporting it for the benefit of the entire community and all the vital services we need and enjoy. The City has a well-documented revenue problem, not a spending problem. Over the years, our city councils and city management staff have made consistent and at times difficult decisions that reduced staffing costs, reduced operational costs, and increased efficiency. But now our public safety services are underfunded; the maintenance of our streets, storm drain systems, parks and trails are all underfunded; we have tens of millions of dollars in deferred maintenance building up; and we have no consistent revenue that can be invested back into our community to preserve our property values and maintain our quality of life. This 1-cent sales tax will cost each of us a very small amount, but will make a tremendous difference in the services we depend on.

Dan Haverty
As the past Fire Chief of the City of Folsom Fire Department and the Assistant Emergency Manager for the City, I believe action is needed now to counter the continued rising cost of providing the basic services that every citizen and visitor to Folsom expects from its city. One only needs to look at our own household expenses to know that the rising costs of fuel, insurance, home maintenance, and home supplies is outstripping our income. The same is true for the expenses the Fire Department, Police Department and other city departments face; they keep rising. The city has done an exemplary job in curbing its costs by lowering staff numbers, implementing cost-reduction strategies within departments, and aggressively using federal and State grants to aid in reducing city expenditures on capital improvement projects.

I believe this 1-cent initiative includes strong oversight provisions, is reasonable, prudent, and spreads this minimal tax over all who use City services, not just those living within its boundaries. I encourage others to look closely at the financial needs of the city and VOTE YES ON MEASURE G.

Steve Heard, Folsom Resident
I moved to Folsom 23 years ago, raised my family here, and still frequent the parks and trails with my wife and grandsons. I have served on City commissions and committees, and I run my real estate business here. I know that like me, others come to Folsom for the great quality of life it offers.

When the recession hit, the city made tough decisions, cutting spending on staff as well as maintenance of parks and other public amenities and infrastructure. These were the right decisions at the time, but today, those spending cuts have resulted in a smaller police force (fewer police officers than in 2007-08 while our population and crime have increased) and deteriorating parks, trails and other amenities. Meanwhile, online shopping has resulted in a reduction of one of our primary sources of revenue; sales tax.

MEASURE G a 1 percent special sales tax measure provides accountability to assure the funds raised are used only in Folsom to support crucial safety services, maintain our deteriorating parks, trails, and infrastructure, and build for a better future. Please join me and Vote YES ON G.