NATIONAL CITY, Calif. -- Highland Avenue cuts through the heart of National City, and the cracks in the road leave the city scarred.

On Tuesday, National City kicked off an ambitious $8 million resurfacing project that will fix more than 150 city roads by October.

National City Mayor Ron Morrison said the project wouldn't have even started without the city's high sales tax.

"It freed up money, it freed up time and everything else, so that we could put time into this," said Morrison.

In fact, the city has been free to spend on public services and expanding its police force.

"We're putting in new skateboard parks, new soccer fields. We're doing all these things while other cities are cutting back. We're saying, 'No, we're going to do a lot more in this community,'" said Morrison.

But this November, the city's sales tax increase could be repealed.

"We've been conned and it's time for us to have full accountability, full disclosure, so the voters can make a vote in a major election, which this November will be," said Richard Rider of the San Diego County Taxpayers Association.

Rider said most of the nearly 9-cent sales tax is fueling the city pension fund.

"They pay some of the most lucrative pensions in the county, if not the state," said Rider.

Morrison responded, "They're just against it because they're against any tax no matter what it is; good tax, bad tax."

Morrison disagreed and said the proof is in the work taxpayer money is paying for -- on the streets and through the heart of National City.

The measure to repeal National City's sales tax increase was initially shot down by voters, but was approved in 2006.

Whether it wins again will be a big debate in the South Bay until the November election.