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Stripping voter approval out of Folsom’s charter isn’t about “efficiency”… it’s about control. This is how you fundamentally change Folsom without the residents having a real say in it. Folsom has held on to its what’s left of its character by local control of services, accountability, and a community that actually gets a vote before major decisions are made. That’s not a flaw in the system… that IS the system. Now the pitch is: “Things move too slow.” “Costs are going up.” “We need flexibility.” All this means is: Let us decide without you… Once you open that door to contracting out Folsom’s core services, you don’t just “explore options”… you invite in low bid operators whose only job is to win the contract, not preserve the quality, reliability, or identity of the city. Sure, might be cheaper at first… then service drops, accountability disappears & costs creep right back up, except now you don’t control it anymore. This isn’t just about trash service. It’s about precedent. Today it’s solid waste, tomorrow it’s everything else. You start outsourcing the backbone of Folsom, piece by piece & before you know it, the very things that made Folsom different, the reason people chose to live here, are gone. Folsom doesn’t need to become Elk Grove. Folsom doesn’t need to “keep up.” Folsom needs to protect what made it great in the first place. Taking power away from Folsom residents isn’t modernization, it’s complete erosion. And once that’s gone, you don’t get it back.