Measure J
City of Folsom · Sacramento County · November 3, 2026
The question on your ballot
Shall the measure amending the Adopted Charter of the City of Folsom to confirm the City Council may grant decision making authority to Boards and Commissions by ordinance, be adopted?
In plain language
Measure J would change the City of Folsom's Charter. A YES vote would confirm that the City Council can give decision-making power to city Boards and Commissions by passing an ordinance. A NO vote means the Charter stays as it is now, with no change described in the evidence.
Impartial analysis
CITY OF FOLSOM City Attorney’s Impartial Analysis of Measure J The Folsom City Council appoints residents to serve on commissions to guide important decisions affecting the community. These bodies hold public meetings where specific community issues are reviewed in detail. The appointed commissioners receive reports from City staff, presentations from those seeking permits or other City approvals, and public comments from members of the community. There are currently six City commissions, including the Arts and Culture Commission, the Historic District Commission, the Library Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission, the Planning Commission, and the Utility Commission. The City Charter gives the City Council authority to set the powers and duties of the Planning Commission, the Parks and Recreation Commission, and other boards and commissions created by the Council. Separately, the City Charter says that boards and commissions “only shall be advisory to the Council”. Advisory bodies make recommendations and advise the City Council but cannot make binding decisions. On July 14, 2026, the City Council voted to place Measure J on the November ballot. If approved by a majority of Folsom voters (50% + 1), Measure J would amend the City Charter to remove the requirement that boards and commissions “only shall be advisory to the Council” to confirm that the City Council may grant decision-making authority to these appointed bodies by ordinance. Measure J would not require the City Council to grant decision-making authority to any board or commission. It would give the City Council discretion to grant individual boards or commissions decision-making authority. This authority could be broad or limited to specific circumstances, as determined by the Council. The City Council could also remove this authority to make a board or commission only advisory. Measure J does not affect appeal rights. Any decision made by a City commission can be appealed to the City Council. The commission most likely to be affected by Measure J is the Historic District Commission. This commission reviews development proposals in Folsom’s Historic District to help preserve and enhance its historic atmosphere and to ensure that new development is consistent with the historical character of the district. The City Council currently makes all binding decisions affecting development in the Historic District. If Measure J passes and the commission has decision-making authority, certain projects in the Historic District may proceed more quickly because separate City Council approval will not be required. A “yes” vote on Measure J will authorize a Charter amendment to allow the City Council to grant decision-making authority to City boards and commissions. A “no” vote on Measure J will not authorize a Charter amendment to allow the City Council to grant decision-making authority to City boards and commissions. These bodies would remain advisory to the Council. The above statement is an impartial analysis of Measure J. If you desire a copy of the Measure, please call the City Clerk’s Office at [phone number omitted] and a copy will be mailed at no cost to you. s/Sari Myers Dierking City Attorney ***YOU CAN FIND THE MEASURE ARGUMENTS FOLLOWING THE FULL TEXT OF THIS MEASURE***
Official ballot arguments
Filed for the official voter guide by each side, printed as submitted.
Argument in favor
Vote YES on Measure J to clarify conflicting language in our City Charter and maintain elected official oversight over our boards and commissions. The current charter contains a sentence that “all boards and commissions only shall be advisory to the Council”, yet three separate sentences in the Charter allow the City Council to set Commission powers, duties, qualifications, removal, and compensation, if any, by ordinance. Measure J resolves this inconsistency. It confirms the Council may, by ordinance, grant defined decision-making authority to a board or commission when doing so best serves Folsom residents. Measure J does not expand the authority of unelected commissioners. Any authority must be granted through a public ordinance adopted by the City Council that specifies exactly what authority is assigned, to which body, and under what rules. Decisions made under delegated authority remain subject to appeal to the City Council, preserving final oversight and accountability to voters. Commissioners must continue to be Folsom residents and registered voters. The Council also retains responsibility for establishing each board’s or commission’s powers, membership, qualifications, selection, terms, removal, and compensation, if any. This practical clarification can reduce unnecessary duplication, allow routine or specialized matters to be handled by qualified resident commissioners, and let the City Council focus on major policy, budget, and community priorities. Measure J followed five public meetings of Folsom’s Ad Hoc Charter Review Committee and two public hearings before the City Council. It creates no tax and requires no delegation of authority. Measure J simply removes contradictory language and gives the City flexibility to define commission responsibilities clearly, publicly, and responsibly. The Folsom City Council urges you to Vote YES on Measure J for a clearer Charter and more efficient local government. s/Justin Raithel Mayor, City of Folsom — Justin Raithel, Mayor, City of Folsom
The argument in favor of Measure J asserts that amending Charter Section 4.07 would "clarify conflicting language" and "maintain elected official oversight" of Boards and Commissions. But there is no conflicting language in the current Section 4.07 and, while Measure J would amend the Charter to allow the City Council to give final decision-making authority to Boards and Commissions, the amendment neither establishes nor guarantees elected official oversight of that final authority. The existing Section 4.07 gives broad authority to the City Council to establish and define the duties of Boards and Commissions, with just a single restriction that Boards and Commissions “only shall be advisory." That provision disallows the City Council from giving Boards and Commissions authority to take final actions on behalf of the City. The provision is not "conflicting language," and is an important restriction prohibiting delegation of final authority to non-elected Boards and Commissions. Moreover, nothing in the Measure J amendment provides for elected official oversight of decisions by Boards and Commissions. Although citizens might be able to appeal decisions of Boards and Commissions to the City Council, the Council recently raised the appeal fee to $1,500 making appeals cost-prohibitive for many citizens. The existing City Charter works in favor of public participation and responsible decision making and should not be amended to allow the Council to delegate final authority to non-elected members of Boards and Commission. Vote NO on Measure J. s/Robert Delp Individual Voter — Robert Delp, Individual Voter
Argument against
City Charter Section 4.07 gives the City Council broad flexibility to establish and define the roles and responsibilities of Boards and Commissions. Section 4.07 has one important restriction which is that Boards and Commissions may only serve in an advisory capacity and may not be granted authority to make final decisions on behalf of the City. Section 4.07 currently strikes a wise balance in allowing the City Council to create Boards and Commissions to serve important functions while restricting our elected City Council from granting its decision-making authority to non-elected individuals sitting on Boards and Commissions. Don’t be fooled by the ballot question. The City Council is spending tens of thousands of taxpayer dollars to ask voters to amend the City Charter so that the Council can grant decision making authority to Board and Commissions composed of individuals that are not elected by or accountable to the voters. The Council’s ballot question suggests that a yes vote would merely “confirm” that the Charter does not limit Boards and Commissions to advisory roles. However, approval of this ballot measure would allow the Council to give unlimited authority to non-elected Boards and Commissions. Amending the City Charter to allow the City Council to delegate decision making authority to non-elected individuals will reduce City Council accountability to the voters and should be rejected. To maintain City Council accountability, vote NO. s/Robert Delp Individual Voter — Robert Delp, Individual Voter
City Councils throughout California commonly delegate minor decision-making authority to Commissions. This practice helps local governments make permit decisions faster and cheaper. In Folsom, we have delegated smaller decisions to our Planning Commission since the City's incorporation in 1946 and to our Historic District Commission since its creation in 1998. Measure J will allow the Council to continue delegating minor decisions, such as those involving residents who want to make changes to their homes or new businesses that want to install a sign. Residents and applicants can appeal any decision made by a Commission to the City Council. In practice, this means 99% of decisions are not appealed because the neighbors have no concerns or their concerns get addressed by the Commission. The controversial projects are appealed and decided by our elected officials with lots of community input. Our City Charter, adopted in 1990, clearly outlines this ability to delegate authority three times but a sentence later in the Charter seems to be in conflict. Mr. Delp has sued the city citing this inconsistency. The City Council is placing this measure on the ballot so we no longer have to spend taxpayer dollars on lawsuits to defend against a resident who wants to restrict his neighbors from making minor changes to their homes and the yards around them without Council approval. Vote YES on Measure J to stop legal conflicts over our Charter. s/Justin Raithel Mayor, City of Folsom — Justin Raithel, Mayor, City of Folsom
What supporters and opponents say — outside sources (not official ballot arguments)
Statements by campaigns, officials and news coverage, quoted with attribution and linked to the original. VoterDecoder did not write them and does not endorse either side.
Supporters say
No public statements in favor were found.
Opponents say
No public statements against were found.