The City of Turlock recently made strides in supporting the business community by adopting a business incentive program targeting new development projects, while also preparing to host the 2026 Turlock Business Conference.

The Turlock City Council approved by a split vote at their March 10 meeting the Turlock Development Incentive. Mayor Amy Bublak, Councilmembers Kevin Bixel and Erika Phillips voted in support of the program and Vice Mayor Rebecka Monez and Councilmember Cassandra Abram opposed it.

This new program provides a 25% reduction in Capital Facilities Fees for eligible commercial, retail and industrial development projects. The program is designed to encourage new development, attract investment and support job creation in Turlock, according to Economic Development Director Anthony Sims.

“I see it more as an investment into our business community and not just a business incentive program,” said Finance Director Isaac Moreno when he presented the program to the city council.

The program was also one of the recommendations in the Turlock Economic Development Strategic Plan Update, drafted by Kosmont & Associates and presented to the City Council also on March 10.

“This is not a new program. There are multiple cities across the state that do this program. They all do it in different formats. It gives us again another tool to entice businesses to come to our community so we can continue to grow. One thing you can always think of is if you’re not continuing to grow, you are continuing to struggle. You have to continue to work your economic development to be able to drive new revenues so that we can continue to keep up. Costs go up; revenues don’t always go up at the same time so we have to able to work our toolkit to expand and keep up with the economy as it continues to fluctuate through the years,” said Moreno.

The reduction in fees will be offset by $500,000 appropriated from the unrestrictive reserves in the city’s “Tourism” fund that comes from the city’s Transient Occupancy Tax (the tax paid by those staying in hotels throughout Turlock).

“I very much want us to utilize these tools…but we don’t really know what we’re going to get in the end,” said Councilmember Abram, who was concerned the incentive program would not be implemented in the most fair manner and beneficial to the city.

“Unfortunately, we do have… a reputation of not being business-friendly and people have built around us,” said Mayor Bublak in support of the program as an incentive to bring in new development.

In an ongoing effort to support existing businesses, the city is preparing to host the 2026 Turlock Business Conference from 10 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. April 24 at The Grand Oak, 1450 N. Soderquist Rd.

This year’s conference will provide local business owners, managers and professionals with a comprehensive business forecast and insights into the current economic landscape, along with emerging market trends, consumer behavior, and tools to help navigate today’s evolving business environment.

Featured speakers include Dr. Gokce Soydemir, Ph.D.., Professor of Economics at Stanislaus State, and Jessica Bohlen of Retail Strategies.
This event is free and open to the public. To register in advance, visit:  https://tinyurl.com/turlockbizconf26