By Reggie Connell, Managing Editor
In Summary:
Angela Turner, a psychotherapist and director at a substance abuse facility, is stepping into the Apopka City Commission Seat 2 race against incumbent Diane Velazquez. Turner says her priorities include transparency, fiscal responsibility, and a comprehensive audit, and she also calls for smarter growth and stronger infrastructure planning as the city expands. She also voiced support for annexing South Apopka and described a long-term vision for a community hub offering expanded services for residents.
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On paper, the Apopka City Commission Seat #2 race is simple: an incumbent commissioner with deep roots in local government versus two challengers who, until recently, weren’t widely known in political circles.
But Dr. Angela Turner isn't someone who entered the race to “see what happens.” She entered, she says, to change what happens.
Related: Smith, Turner, and Velázquez qualify for Seat #2 election.
Turner, a psychotherapist who has lived in Apopka for about seven years, is challenging incumbent Commissioner Diane Velazquez for Seat 2 in the March municipal election. While she speaks respectfully of Velazquez’s work, she also focuses her candidacy around a belief that Apopka is ready for a different style of leadership, one focused on what she calls fiscal accountability, transparency, and a broader sense of inclusion in how decisions get made.
“I’ve heard nothing but positive things,” Turner said about Velazquez. “That’s not, again, a good thing to say about your opponent, but I mean it. I just want to be an agent of change. I love what I see in Apopka. I just think that there is so much more that can be done.”
Turner’s professional background is in mental health and leadership. She runs a private psychotherapy practice and serves as a director of a substance abuse facility. She has also worked in various roles connected to Florida’s prison population and the Department of Juvenile Justice. Turner said those experiences shaped her ability to lead in difficult environments and navigate conflict — skills she believes translate directly to city government.
“My negotiation skills are fantastic,” she said. “I can read behaviors. I can read the room.”
Turner also said she brings experience from past work in property development, describing herself as a landlord who previously flipped houses up north. She said that background gives her a practical understanding of how development decisions connect to land use, maps, and long-term planning — the kind of issues that dominate local government meetings even when they don’t make headlines.
“I kind of know those aspects of how to create those,” she said. “You know, look at maps and all those types of things.”
Originally from Detroit, Turner describes herself as a “West Virginia girl” who found familiarity in Apopka’s neighborhoods and culture.
“Apopka is very much like home,” she said. “I love the people, so friendly… and I love the diversity of the neighborhoods and environment. It’s really a welcoming place.”
Turner could have run for Seat #4, which is open this election cycle, but she chose Seat 2 to challenge an incumbent and offer voters another option.
“It gives an opportunity for change and growth,” Turner said. “And I also am competitive. I’m an innovative, forward-thinking person… so I want to be able to change up the leadership that we have.”
While Turner said she respects Mayor Bryan Nelson and the office he holds, she acknowledged that she sees some issues differently.
“I think that we think differently on certain views,” she said, “But I don’t have a negative impression. I respect the office and what he’s been able to do.”
But Turner believes Apopka needs a reset in how it communicates with residents and manages its finances, and she framed transparency as more than a buzzword.
“Fiscal responsibility and transparency are my top priorities,” she said.
Her first major initiative would be a comprehensive audit. She said residents deserve to know where the city stands financially and how tax dollars are being spent.
“Having an audit, so that the public knows where we stand,” she said. “Where their dollars are going.”
Turner confirmed she would support a forensic-style audit similar to the one previously called for by Commissioner Nick Nesta, who is running for mayor.
Beyond finances, Turner said she sees growth and infrastructure as the city’s biggest challenges — and she framed the issue as one of timing and capacity, not whether new residents should be welcomed.
“I think it’s growth and infrastructure,” she said. “I think it’s fantastic that people want to live in Apopka, but we don’t have the infrastructure to be able to take care of that.”
Turner said she wants the city to monitor development more closely and make sure roads, utilities, and public safety services are not stretched too thin. She referenced expansion beyond established areas, including growth beyond Rock Springs, and said extending utilities and services outward can drive up costs for residents and the city.
“There’s a number of developments,” she said, “We need to be able to navigate and monitor that development so it doesn’t grow exponentially, and the roads and the utilities can’t keep up."
Turner also pointed to the challenge of providing services to areas farther from the city’s existing footprint.
“That makes it difficult to be able to provide those services,” she said.
At the same time, Turner said she would not oppose growth outright and would evaluate proposals on a case-by-case basis.
“I’m not a black-and-white person,” she said. “There are always exceptions. I’m going to take them as they come.”
Turner also took a clear position on the annexation of South Apopka.
“I think that it goes along with being able to have inclusivity,” Turner said. “South Apopka is at the heart of this community. We can't forget that area. We have to include it."
She acknowledged that annexation ultimately depends on what residents want, but said she supports moving toward a more unified Apopka and ensuring services and representation reach all areas.
“I am in support of what the people want,” she said.
Turner also said improving transparency includes how the city forms committees and makes appointments. She argued commissioners should have more input, not just the mayor, and said committee representation should reflect the community.
“It should represent the population that we have,” she said.
Looking ahead, Turner said she wants Apopka to become a city that stands out in Orange County — not simply a place people recognize because it sits outside Orlando. She said downtown revitalization is part of that, and she wants the city to attract more visitors and investment.
“I would like to see a flourishing downtown,” Turner said. “It’s a beautiful downtown… but even more beauty and growth, because that brings people to our city — whether it be to eat dinner or just to explore the area. It brings those dollars to us as well.”
Adding to her vision of a strong downtown, Turner described a community hub that goes beyond a typical recreation center. She envisions a place that offers job skills training, mental and physical health resources, and education support, serving residents regardless of income.
“I would shoot for a large community center where everyone can come and get what they need,” Turner said. “Whether they have money or not. Like… education. Like a kind of community center, only extending the idea to more services than your typical community center.”
Turner said she entered the race recently and is still building her campaign, but her strategy centers on visibility and direct outreach.
“Social media is where it’s at,” she said, “but I’m still knocking on doors… showing up at Apopka events.”
As she introduces herself to voters across the city, Turner said she’s trying to keep her message simple and grounded in service — not ideology.
“My first objective in this role was to be able to serve,” she said. “To meet the needs of what the residents of Apopka want… make them feel heard and seen. You can’t please everyone, but for the betterment of the city, being able to meet their needs and hear them.”
Key Points:
- Angela Turner is challenging incumbent Commissioner Diane Velazquez for Apopka City Commission Seat 2.
- Turner describes herself as an “agent of change” and says her top priorities are fiscal responsibility and transparency.
- She supports a comprehensive audit so residents can better understand how city dollars are being spent.
- Turner says growth and infrastructure are Apopka’s biggest challenges and wants development monitored more closely.
- She supports annexing South Apopka and wants committee representation and decision-making that better reflects the community.
