Folsom community urged to attend city council meeting over 10 open firefighter positions

In a rare appeal to the Folsom community, the new city manager is urging residents to attend this week's city council meeting to discuss the dilemma of 10 vacant firefighter positions, and his controversial recommendation. City Manager Bryan Whitemyer took to social media to urge the community to attend the meeting, scheduled for Tuesday, July 8, at 6:30 p.m. at Folsom City Hall, 50 Natoma Street. The city council will discuss whether to proceed with filling the 10 vacant firefighter positions or follow the recommendation of Whitemyer, who is advocating for a deferral of those hirings due to more than $3 million in an operational deficit. Considering the positions were set to be filled July 21, Whitemyer said time is of the essence to decide whether to pivot from the original plan. In a staff report, Whitemyer said deferring these crucial hirings is a tough choice yet could save the city some $2 million. "Let me be clear, I don't take lightly the idea of delaying or deferring public safety hires. We deeply value our fire personnel and the vital services they provide," wrote Whitemyer in a statement. "However, we must also recognize that we have a $3 million operational deficit this year that is projected to grow to $5 million next year if necessary changes are not made." Whitemyer also reminded in his statement that Measure G, a tax initiative on last year's November ballot, failed resoundingly, sending a clear message the city is now forced to live within its current financial situation. Whitemyer said the city has tapped into its "rainy day" reserves to cover essential expenses such as roof replacements and replacement electrocardiogram monitors for the fire department, and he stressed there are no easy solutions. The city has implemented a hiring freeze for all positions fully funded by the General Fund, according to Whitemyer; the 10 open firefighter positions fall into this category. For this reason, the public is being urged to listen and offer thoughts and opinions. The staff report acknowledged that not hiring these positions will result in a reduction of service to the community. "Your input matters as we navigate this difficult decision together," said Whitemyer.