It’s not every day that local, state, and federal legislators convene in the same room, but on Thursday locals will have the opportunity to interface with their elected leaders at the fourth annual Turlock Government Night.

District 2 Stanislaus County Supervisor Vito Chiesa will host the event that is bringing together Congressman Jeff Denham  (R – Turlock), Senator Tom Berryhill (R – Twain Harte), Assemblymember Kristin Olsen (R – Riverbank), and Mayor Gary Soiseth to discuss issues unique to the region.

“Government nights like these have helped make it easier for elected officials and the community to come together,” said Chiesa. “People have questions and concerns and here we can help them face-to-face. It’s a great opportunity to get direct answers from your elected officials.”

Each legislator will be granted time to provide prepared remarks before a question and answer session with the audience takes place.  Job creation and state water were the prevailing topics that took center stage at the third annual event, two topics on which Denham anticipates discussion this year.

 “I applaud Supervisor Chiesa for holding Government Night again this year. This is an important opportunity for local residents to engage with their elected officials at all levels of government. I look forward to discussing ways to address our ongoing drought on the federal and state levels, how we can work together to rein in out-of-control government spending, and finding solutions to help create jobs in the Central Valley,” said Denham.

Soiseth just surpassed his 100 days as mayor and the event is another way in which he can fulfill his campaign promise of a more transparent relationship between government officials and the constituents they represent.

The fourth annual Turlock Government Night will take place from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m.  Thursday at the Mary Stuart Roger Building Conference Room on the California State University, Stanislaus campus.