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Kevin Bixel brought a physician assistant’s experience in emergency medicine and neurosurgery to Turlock City Hall. Elected in 2022, the District 1 councilmember is now asking voters for a second term. His first four years offer a record to examine: decisions about homeless services, cannabis revenue, housing and the cost of attracting new businesses.
The city’s verified 2026 candidate list places Bixel against Jeremy Rocha in the November 3 election. This is a district race: residents vote for the council seat associated with their address, while the mayor is chosen citywide.
From ambulance calls to City Hall
Bixel’s family moved to Turlock when he was five. His Express Lane Urgent Care biography traces his medical career to paramedic training shortly after high school, followed by eight years responding to emergencies in Stanislaus County. He entered UC Davis’s physician assistant program in 2000, then worked in emergency departments and urgent care before further training in neurosurgery.
The Bee’s October 2022 candidate report adds another thread: a quarter century volunteering with the National Ski Patrol and service on the Turlock Country Club’s executive board. It identifies Modesto Junior College and Pacific Union College among his schools.
In that first campaign, Bixel named homelessness as his leading concern and also emphasized road repair, public safety and the local economy. He said emergency-service contracts deserved scrutiny. Those stated interests provide a useful starting point for reading the votes that followed.
How he won District 1
The state’s final 2022 election report records 3,031 votes for Bixel, or 58.3 percent, against Chris Nichols’s 2,167 votes. Nicole Larson had not sought another term. Bixel took the oath of office December 13, 2022, entering the council alongside newly elected District 3 member Cassandra Abram.
Homeless services: two different decisions
On January 23, 2024, Bixel voted against ending the city’s Navigation Center pilot operated through We Care. The official minutes show Abram also opposed the termination; the motion passed 3–2. That action concerned a particular city service agreement, rather than a vote ordering the organization’s separate nighttime shelter to close.
Bixel also supported a $1 city contribution toward We Care’s state-grant proposal, a dispute covered in April 2025. Journal report.
The later outcome matters. On February 24, 2026, county supervisors awarded We Care $427,808 for the coming fiscal year. The Journal’s follow-up reported that state clarification removed the emergency shelter’s municipal-match requirement. Readers comparing the votes should distinguish that later county award from the city proposal Bixel supported in 2025.
Cannabis revenue and a housing conversion
On June 25, 2024, Bixel supported placing a cannabis business tax before voters. The proposal failed 3–2. The Journal’s account explains that the contemplated 10 percent figure was a ceiling for future council action, rather than an automatic starting rate. The dispute involved replacing development-agreement payments with a tax structure; his vote supported submitting that question to the electorate.
The city’s cannabis committee roster also lists Bixel among the members, along with Abram and Planning Commissioners Jim Reape and Matt Davis. Committee participation provides context for that work; the recorded council vote establishes his position on the specific ballot proposal.
On February 11, 2025, he supported rezoning the former strawberry-growing property along West Monte Vista Avenue for a 114-home development. It passed 3–1, with Erika Phillips opposed and Rebecka Monez absent. The Journal’s housing report describes neighborhood traffic concerns and a second access point added during planning review.
The fire agreement changed between votes
Bixel opposed the March 24, 2026 direction to negotiate another fire administration agreement with Modesto. He and Abram favored an independent approach; the other three members prevailed. The Journal’s March report distinguishes that negotiation decision from the later agreement and notes the addition of a citizen advisory committee with a firefighters’ union representative.
On May 26, Bixel joined the unanimous vote for the revised agreement. The negotiated contract ultimately had his support.
A different alignment on business development
Bixel voted for the development incentive adopted March 10, 2026, while Abram and Monez opposed it. The Journal reported the 3–2 decision.
The city’s program description explains what businesses can receive: a 25 percent reduction in capital facilities fees for eligible commercial, retail and industrial projects, while funding is available. These are charges associated with development, so the incentive concerns the cost of a qualifying project rather than a general reduction in residents’ taxes.
Contact and follow his work
Bixel’s public council email is kbixel@turlock.ca.us. Use the official district map to confirm your representative and the council meeting page for agendas, minutes and recordings. Meetings are held at City Hall, 156 S. Broadway, Turlock.
For the wider picture, see Turlock’s local representatives and the town’s history.
Compare the mayor’s record and the other current councilmember profiles.
This independent profile examines a public official’s public record and statements. Send documented corrections or responses to LocalTurlock.
