Change, goodbyes and new beginnings in council

It was a night of change, goodbyes and new beginnings in the Folsom City Council Chambers on Monday, Dec. 9. Outgoing city council members YK Chalamcherla and Rosario Rodriguez were honored for their service by Mike Kozlowski during his final acts as mayor. First came Rodriguez, who is going to serve on the Sacramento County Board of Supervisors for District 4 next year. Kozlowski also presented Rodriguez with a special medal for having perfect attendance during her time on the council, which was partially lighthearted but also a significant accomplishment and representative of her dedication to the work. Then it was time to say goodbye to Chalamcherla, who won his race to serve on the Folsom Cordova Unified School District Board. Chalamcherla thanked his fellow council members, the Folsom community and his family for their longtime support. His gratitude speech went on long enough that Kozlowski jokingly added that if the school board position doesn't work out, Chalamcherla may have a good career as a preacher. Finally, the marquee event: the swearing in of two shiny new city council members. Barbara Leary won her race to serve District 4 over Jim Ortega and Gul Kahn. Justin Raithel won his race for District 2 against Dustin Silva and Hla Elkhatib. Leary and Raithel stood together in front of the chamber as they were given their oaths of office to repeat before officially becoming city council members. Once the oath was completed and it was a done deal, the crowd erupted in happy cheers. Leary and Raithel then made their way up to sit beside their fellow council members. The group then voted for who would have the title as mayor now that Kozlowski's term has finished. Sarah Aquino was unanimously voted in as Folsom's newest mayor, and Raithel became not just a Folsom City Council member but he was selected to be the city's vice mayor. Before the meeting adjourned, Mayor Aquino said this new council appears to be very policy driven, and she's confident and optimistic about what this new city council can achieve together. Aquino won't have to wait long to start working with the new members: The council met Tuesday night. While the council has new faces, old looming problems remain, such as budget struggles, especially now that Measure G has been defeated. The city also must continue its search to replace City Manager Elaine Andersen, who retires this month, adding to the list of good-byes.