ANNA ROHRBOUGH
Folsom City Council - District 5
RESULTS AND LEADERSHIP
Four years. Hard votes. Real results.
Here's what actually happened.
STRENGTHENING CITY LEADERSHIP
When I joined the council in 2022, I came in asking questions that weren’t always welcome. About how money was being spent. About whether reporting was accurate. About whether City Hall was actually accountable to the people it serves.
Change at the city level doesn’t happen overnight and it rarely happens without resistance. But I kept pushing for stronger oversight, clearer reporting, and a culture where staff and council both understood their roles and held themselves to higher standards.
In 2024 the council undertook a leadership transition and selected a new City Manager who began serving in March 2025. That process mattered and I was actively involved in it. Under his leadership the city has strengthened financial oversight, improved budget discipline, and established clear expectations that departments operate within council-approved budgets.
New leadership has also come to several key departments. The results have been meaningful. Better communication, stronger follow-through, and a renewed focus on what residents actually expect from their city government.
I believe the job of a councilmember is to set priorities, ask hard questions, and hold the organization accountable for results. That’s what I’ve done and that’s what I’ll keep doing.
FISCAL STEWARDSHIP
Fiscal responsibility was my first priority when I joined the council and it remains one today. Not because it’s a popular talking point, but because everything else depends on it. You can’t fund public safety, maintain parks, or plan for the future if you’re not honest about what things cost and whether you can sustain them.
When I arrived in 2022, city spending was consistently exceeding council-approved budgets. I raised that concern early and kept raising it even when the response was lukewarm. I pushed for clearer reporting, stronger oversight, and real accountability for how taxpayer dollars were being managed.
That work is paying off. The city now operates within its adopted budget framework and exceeds its reserve policy targets. The March 2026 mid-year budget review confirmed we’re on track. That didn’t happen by accident and it didn’t happen without someone being willing to ask uncomfortable questions for several years.
There’s still work ahead. Folsom has real infrastructure needs, deferred maintenance obligations, and long-term financial commitments that require honest planning. I’m not interested in pretending otherwise. What I am committed to is making sure every dollar is spent responsibly, that residents can trust the numbers they’re given, and that we build a financial foundation strong enough to protect the services people depend on.
PUBLIC SAFETY
Public safety isn’t just a budget line. It’s the foundation everything else is built on. Folsom has a strong reputation for safety and maintaining that standard requires consistent investment, honest leadership, and the willingness to get ahead of problems before they become crises.
Since joining the council I championed the creation of Folsom’s Homeless Outreach Team. This wasn’t a simple or automatic decision. It required making the case that a dedicated team connecting individuals with services would reduce repeat calls for service, improve outcomes for residents, and make better use of our first responders’ time. It has done all of those things and it remains one of the most meaningful proactive public safety improvements we’ve made.
I also supported strengthening our fire department, including adding a dedicated training chief and moving toward single role paramedics. These aren’t flashy decisions but they’re the kind that matter when you actually need the fire department to show up ready.
Folsom also welcomed new Police and Fire Chiefs during this period. Strong department leadership makes a real difference in how services are delivered and how accountable departments remain to the community they serve.
Public safety is about more than emergency response. It’s about planning ahead, funding the right positions, and making sure the people protecting this community have what they need to do their jobs well. That’s been my focus and it will continue to be.
QUALITY OF LIFE & COMMUNITY CHARACTER
Folsom’s quality of life didn’t happen by accident. It’s the result of years of investment in parks, trails, neighborhoods, and public spaces that people actually use and value. Protecting that takes more than good intentions. It takes consistent funding, honest prioritization, and leaders willing to push back when those investments get deprioritized.
One of my early priorities on the council was keeping maintenance funding intact when budget pressures made it an easy target. When others didn’t see a path forward I found one. Cutting maintenance feels painless in the short term and creates expensive problems in the long term. I wasn’t willing to let that happen here.
Castle Park is a project I’m genuinely proud of. Getting it across the finish line required securing the right funding solution, improving ADA accessibility, and making sure a beloved community gathering place would be there for the next generation of Folsom families. It moved forward because people pushed for it and I was one of them.
E-bike and e-scooter safety has been one of the most talked about community issues this past school year, showing up on social media, in neighborhood conversations, and literally on my doorstep. The concern isn’t just about the kids riding them. It’s about the drivers who don’t want to hit a child darting into traffic. The walkers and cyclists on our trails who deserve to feel safe. The residents dealing with dangerous and disruptive behavior in their neighborhoods.
I worked with the Police Department, city staff, and the Folsom Cordova Unified School District to strengthen policies, improve education and outreach, and create real accountability and enforcement. It’s better than it was. And as summer arrives we’re staying on it because this isn’t a problem you solve once. It takes consistent enforcement, ongoing education, and a community that holds the line together. That’s exactly what we’re doing.
Folsom’s character is worth preserving. It didn’t happen by accident and it won’t maintain itself without leaders who treat it as a genuine priority. I have and I will.
Honest leadership isn't about promises. It's about showing up, asking hard questions, and delivering results even when it's uncomfortable. That's what the last four years have looked like. That what the next four will look like too.
I'm asking for the chance to finish what we started.