Dear Editor,

When the leading candidates for Turlock mayor, Gary Soiseth, Brad Bates and Amy Bublak last ran for office I supported their opponents. 
Two significant issues face Turlock.
1) Water:  Our groundwater, based drinking water, is threatened by contamination and the state’s planned heist of surface water.  5 of our drinking wells are shut down because of arsenic, nitrates, and TCP.   Soiseth knows this, and is working toward making the surface water plant a reality. Bublak and Bates, not so much.

2) Roads: Turlock and Stanislaus County overwhelmingly embraced Measure L to use local funds (some of which will be matched by other state-level money) to fix local and regional roads.  Soiseth fought for it, and even got Turlock a better deal than our population warranted by basing the formula off of sales tax generation, not population. That means about $25 million extra in road funding. Bublak and Bates, not so much.

Water supply, and roads are essential to economic development. A healthy local economy provides the revenue for all of our city’s essential services, including building up our reserves.  

If we vote on our city's best long-term interest, this isn’t a close call. Gary Soiseth for Mayor!

— Mike Lynch