Brad Bates: Voters in two Turlock districts will help shape city going forward
Turlock will have its first “by district” election Nov. 8. Registered voters will vote for only one city council candidate, who must live in the district (there are 4) where the voter resides.
This year two districts – District 4 (Northwest quadrant/Pitman HS area) and District 2 (West Main Street/West and Southwest area) – will be on the ballot. In 2018, it will be the other two districts and the mayor, who will continue to be elected “at large” by all the city’s voters. This gives all geographic areas of Turlock equal representation on the City Council.
Some people are confused because we are seeing candidate’s yard signs in residential lawns all over Turlock, not just in the districts where the candidates live.
The answer is that even though a resident can only vote for a candidate in his or her district, many, many citizens realize this election in November will change the composition, philosophies, priorities and reputation of the Turlock City Council for many years to come. It is truly a pivotal point in Turlock’s governance and political history.
Those elected will be regional representatives, but they will determine our collective future.
Brad Bates, Turlock
This story was originally published August 23, 2016 at 5:31 PM with the headline "Brad Bates: Voters in two Turlock districts will help shape city going forward."