Local candidate campaigns continue due to the upcoming Nov. 4 elections where the city of Turlock will elect a new mayor and two new city council members.
There are currently five candidates in the running for the two City Council Member seats: Sergio A. Alvarado, Donald Babadalir, Councilman Bill DeHart Jr., Matthew Jacob and Councilman Forrest J. White.
Sergio A. Alvarado, who ran for a city council position in 2012, is currently the commissioner for the Turlock Parks, Arts and Recreation Commission and an employee of the United States Postal Service. He hopes to focus the council towards issues including water usage, road tax proposals, district elections and labor unions.
Donald Babadalir, a California State University, Stanislaus alumni, is currently a personal trainer who runs his own business training individuals and offering nutritional advice. He hopes to turn the attention of the city council towards economic development, retaining college graduates in the Turlock workforce, as well as retail jobs, and leading the community toward a healthy lifestyle.
Councilman Bill DeHart Jr. is running for re-election. He wants to continue his initiatives toward District Elections, sales taxes for road repair, water usage and rights, increasing the size of Turlock’s Public Safety departments and building a relationship between the greater Turlock community, Turlock School District and CSU Stanislaus.
Turlock native Matthew Jacob is a young business owner who hopes to add his experience in business and entrepreneurship to Turlock City Hall. Jacob expects to use his background to focus on creating a skilled workforce, raising the average household income for Turlockers, improving the standard of living, encouraging Stanislaus graduates to remain in the area and increasing funding for Turlock Fire and Police departments.
Current councilman Forrest J. White is also running for re-election. White proposes that he will “prioritize downtown business development, set smart growth policies and make quality city services a priority.”
Citizens of Turlock will not only be voting for two new councilmen, but also a new mayor as Turlock’s current mayor, John Lazar, chose not to run for re-election.
The mayoral candidates include Gary Soiseth, former CSU Stanislaus professor, and Mike Brem, founder and former president of Turlock’s SupHerb Farms.
Gary Soiseth says he will focus on creating sustainable infrastructure solutions for Turlock’s water resources while moving forward with economic growth, reshaping the city’s views of public safety and rebuilding local roads and highways.
Mike Brem says he will work to ensure the funding of public safety and ensure citizens of Turlock that taxes are spent efficiently and that the city is living within its means.
For more information on the Nov. 4 elections, visit: http://www.ci.turlock.ca.us/citydepartments/administrativeservices/cityclerk/elections/