Financial Stability
The city’s total budget across all funds is almost $300,000,000 for Fiscal Year 2026-27. The largest fund, the General Fund, has a budget of almost $125,000,000. Property and sales tax revenue are the greatest contributors to the General Fund. Due to increasing expenses and flattening sales tax revenue, the city was facing a $3,000,000 deficit last year. The council voted unanimously to cut positions and temporarily take a fire engine out of service. This difficult but necessary action eliminated the structural deficit and brought expenses below revenues. Fire Engine 39 was restored to service on September 6, 2026.
Sarah believes fiscal discipline starts at the top. She voted against the tripling of council members’ salaries and has pledged to decline the increase when it goes into effect in December 2026.
As a life and health insurance broker, Sarah is using her experience and expertise to work with city staff on the city’s health care offerings. Reducing health care costs (without decreasing benefits) would free up money to use on deferred maintenance for parks, trails, streets, storm drains, etc.
Housing
Since 1969, the State of California has required local governments to plan for the housing needs of all residents. To meet this requirement, each city and county must develop a Housing Element as part of its General Plan (a local government’s long-range blueprint for growth). Included in the city’s housing element is the Regional Housing Needs Allocation. This is the number of new housing units the city is required to plan for in an eight-year period. The Regional Housing Needs Allocation, or RHNA (pronounced REE-nuh), is allocated by the Sacramento Area Council of Governments. For the 2021-2029 housing cycle, Folsom was allocated a total of 6,363 units. Of those, 3,567 units are to be affordable to low or very low-income households. Although the city doesn’t build housing, state law requires the city to zone enough land to accommodate all of the units allocated.
Unfortunately, the state legislature has usurped much of the city council’s authority when it comes to land use decisions. Regardless, Sarah is committed to ensuring that new development is thoughtful, well-planned, and upholds Folsom’s high standards. She voted to deny an application to allow a crematorium to be built adjacent to the existing Preserve neighborhood, worked with the wardens at Folsom State Prison and California State Prison, Sacramento to remove the green, rolling hills along Natoma Street from the state’s Surplus Property List, and has publicly stated her opposition to annexing land south of White Rock Road.
Public Safety
Sarah has been a vocal and visible supporter of the city’s first responders during her eight years on the council. She has attended hearings at the state and county level to advocate for policies and practices that help law enforcement officers keep residents safe. She strongly supports the Folsom Fire Department’s recent transition to a “single role” system which staffs two of the city’s three ambulances with EMTs and Paramedics, rather than Firefighter EMTs and Firefighter Paramedics. Learn more about the single role system here: Folsom Fire Department Launches Single-Role Paramedic Program to Strengthen Emergency Medical Response and Expand Recruitment | News | Folsom, CA
Traffic
While new interchanges and overpasses will help ease congestion in the long run, more funding is needed and construction is still a few years away. As residents need relief now, Sarah continues to advocate for solutions that can be implemented relatively quickly and inexpensively.
While on a family trip to Tucson, Arizona, Sarah noted their widespread use of flashing yellow arrows to allow unprotected left turns at signalized intersections. She asked city staff to implement a pilot program in Folsom using this same system. A flashing yellow arrow improves traffic flow by allowing drivers to turn left after yielding to oncoming traffic, rather than having to wait for a green arrow. Flashing yellow arrows were added to four signals on Natoma Street in September 2026. Assuming the pilot program is successful, flashing yellow arrows will be utilized at additional intersections in the future.
Sarah has also advocated for the use of roundabouts to lower speeds and reduce congestion, injury crashes, and vehicle emissions. The city’s General Plan was updated in 2024 to prioritize roundabouts as the primary form of intersection control. As a result, roundabouts, rather than signals or stop signs, will be used in several new intersections in Folsom Ranch. City staff has also identified existing signalized intersections that could be retrofitted with roundabouts if grant funding becomes available.