I am excited to support Amy Bublak for Mayor of Turlock. When I met Amy soon after moving to Turlock nine years ago, I was impressed with her friendliness, openness, and genuine passion for Turlock and its people. I was equally impressed that she was, and still is, so easily accessible to residents for conversation and to answer questions about current events and local issues. In fact, it has been very important for her to speak to a variety of community stakeholders before taking action on any topic, because she wants to know that the interests of the majority are being served.

Another important quality I have noticed in every conversation I’ve had with Amy is her insistence on fairness and transparency in all situations, political or otherwise. She wants to ensure that taxpayers are getting what they have been told they’re getting, with no surprises or inequities. From city contracts to competitive bidding to water issues, Amy expects the same accountability in herself as she expects from others.

Ms. Bublak has a solid and impressive history with public service that makes her uniquely qualified to lead as Turlock’s next mayor. Her training for the role may have begun while earning her degree in Public Administration at CSU, Stanislaus, if not sooner. She has served on Turlock’s City Council since 2008, allowing her to roll up her sleeves and provide a voice for many residents on a variety of key topics such as water, jobs, city infrastructure, and more. Her career as a police officer spanned more than 20 years, having served in both Modesto and in Richmond. To me, that means she has the street smarts to effectively address crime issues, and in fact has already done that as a City Council member. During her City Council tenure, she has also supported modernization and revitalization of our schools, parks, libraries and arts centers. In addition, she served as Vice Mayor for Turlock, indicating that she has worked very closely with prior mayors and fully understands the demands of the job.

I strongly encourage anyone with questions or doubts to look for Amy’s videos on Facebook and hear her for yourself. Better yet, reach out directly to her with your questions: there is no topic she is unwilling to discuss. It is so exciting knowing that we have such a strong leader ready to step up and meet our challenges head on. Please join me and thousands of others in voting for Amy Bublak in November as Turlock’s next mayor!

— Suzanne Houlden