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Turlock elects a mayor and council, but some of the services residents use most belong to Stanislaus County. The library, behavioral-health programs, county roads outside city limits and regional planning all lead back to the Board of Supervisors. Turlock’s supervisor is Vito Chiesa, a Hughson farmer who took office in 2009 and chairs the county board in 2026.
The Hughson farmer representing Turlock
Chiesa grew up in Hughson, graduated from Hughson High School and attended Modesto Junior College before earning an agriculture degree at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. His county biography describes a family farming operation with his mother, Mary, and brother, Andrew: almonds, walnuts, and a commercial walnut-hulling and drying business. Before becoming a supervisor, he led the Stanislaus County Farm Bureau and county fair board.
Agriculture gave him a route into public work. It also helps explain the issues that recur around his office: land use, water, roads, air quality and the relationship between cities and the farms around them. Our Hughson guide covers the community where he has lived, while the local farms directory describes more of the agricultural landscape around Turlock.
The Turlock Journal’s account of his reelection campaign records his first election in June 2008 against former county sheriff Les Weidman. He began serving in January 2009. The county announced his next swearing-in after reelection in 2024 for January 2025; his present term runs to January 2029. His District 2 seat is therefore separate from the city races on the November 2026 ballot.
District 2 and what a county supervisor controls
The official county district map places Turlock, Hughson, Denair and Hickman in District 2, along with surrounding rural territory. Keyes is in District 5. That is an important difference for neighbors who share a Turlock-area address or shop in town but receive county services elsewhere.
Chiesa is one of five supervisors. The county describes the board’s responsibilities as both legislative and administrative: adopting budgets, allocating funding among county departments and regulating land use in unincorporated areas. The county’s work includes health and human services, environmental resources, law enforcement and other functions that reach residents inside cities as well as outside them.
A road inside the City of Turlock and a road on county land can require different contacts. The same is true of a city development proposal and a project outside city limits. Chiesa’s district office can help identify the county department responsible. It cannot substitute its own decision for a separate elected school board, irrigation district or city council.
Rail: why a desired station is not yet a timetable
In a Ceres Courier interview, Chiesa distinguished his San Joaquin rail role from ACE board membership, though the services shared management. He described a joint station-development committee deciding which projects could move first with limited funding. Construction difficulties around Modesto and Ceres, and expected ridership, helped explain prioritizing expansion north of Stockton.
He described Turlock as a later phase after reaching Ceres. That is not a promised opening date. Residents already have the Roger K. Fall Transit Center and Denair station options; proposed rail extensions would add different choices if funded and completed.
Mental health, housing and neighborhood concerns
County government is central to the changes in California’s behavioral-health system. The state’s implementation guidance sets a July 1, 2026 start for the 2026–2029 county integrated plans and provides for reporting on outcomes. A county plan therefore has to address both services and accountability, within a framework the state sets.
Asked by the Courier about neighborhood concerns around behavioral-health facilities, including one in Turlock, Chiesa emphasized measuring outcomes rather than simply counting people served.
His July 2026 State of the County address covered homelessness, behavioral-health reorganization, economic development and maintaining services. The Modesto Bee’s report described a mixture of progress and remaining problems.
The library is a visible county service in town
The expanded Turlock Library is one place where county decisions become a building people can walk into. The county’s performance report records the renovated branch opening on August 10, 2021, with more room for children and teens, a quiet reading room and a new community room.
The library’s annual report also credits the Friends of the Turlock Library with raising more than $1 million for enhancements and future programming.
Land use and air quality involve other public boards
Chiesa serves on the Local Agency Formation Commission, usually shortened to LAFCO. It deals with the organization and boundaries of cities and special districts, with efficient services and protection of agricultural land among its concerns. These decisions can affect how a city grows and which public agency supplies a service. They are distinct from approving a particular restaurant or subdivision permit.
A specific example appears in LAFCO’s May 27, 2026 minutes. Chiesa moved to approve its 2026–2027 budget; commissioners approved the motion 4–0. The same meeting approved a review of healthcare districts and their service areas. The roll call included Turlock Mayor Amy Bublak, showing one of the places where city and county representatives meet in the same public body.
The Valley Air District’s September 2026 board roster also lists Chiesa as Stanislaus County’s representative. Air-district work crosses city boundaries, just as pollution does. A resident following agricultural rules, emissions programs or air-quality policy may therefore find a decision on a regional agenda rather than a Turlock council agenda.
Government Night and how to reach his office
Chiesa has hosted Turlock Government Night, bringing officials from different levels of government together to answer residents’ questions. The Journal’s account of the September 2024 forum describes that edition at Turlock Library with officials from several levels of government. Residents could ask which office handled an issue and hear the representatives’ answers together.
His district office is at 1010 10th Street, Suite 6500, Modesto, CA 95354. Call 209-525-6440 or use the contact link on his official county page. For an ordinary county service request, the Stan Connect system also provides a way to submit a concern and receive updates.
For a matter on a board agenda, use the Board of Supervisors meeting page to find the current agenda, staff report and public-comment instructions. Meetings take place in the basement-level board chambers at 1010 10th Street, Modesto, CA 95354. A useful message names the issue, the location and the decision you want officials to consider. The representatives directory lists the city and state offices for matters outside county authority.
