NATIONAL CITY (KGTV) — National City Mayor Ron Morrison is retiring after 34 years in public service, ending a tenure that has included efforts to reshape the city's image, redevelop its waterfront and address long-standing budget challenges.
Morrison announced Saturday that he would not seek another term, saying he ultimately felt comfortable stepping aside because he believes there are solid candidates ready to lead the city.
“I guess there's some bittersweet," Morrison said. "It's the realization of how much time we got left."
Morrison said he had considered retiring during the previous election cycle but wasn't confident about the city's future leadership at the time.
“I was not really secure in what I saw the leadership and the future at that moment in time,” Morrison said. “But this year we got some candidates that I think are good, solid city people.”
Looking back on his career, Morrison said one of his proudest accomplishments came early on during his time as a council member, when he sought to improve National City's image.
“You gotta realize at that time we had a very bad reputation, and we were the crime capital of the county,” Morrison said.
He responded by ordering 500 buttons bearing the message “I heart National City” as part of an effort to build civic pride.
“We're at about 50,000 now that we've given out, and so it was just the idea of working on pride,” Morrison said.
Near the end of his career, Morrison said another major accomplishment was getting the Port of San Diego's approval on his "National City Balanced Plan" after nearly 12 years of work.
The 77-acre project is expected to expand public access and improve recreation around the waterfront, while continuing to support maritime operations.
As Morrison prepares for retirement, he said his successor will face a major challenge similar to one he inherited when he first took office: the city's budget.
He urged the next mayor to understand the city's financial limitations and make difficult decisions when necessary.
“City comes first," Morrison said. "Realize what your opportunities are, but realize what your limitations are and learn the art of how to say no even when you don't want to.”
As of Wednesday's extended filing deadline, four candidates are running to succeed Morrison: Councilmember Marcus Bush, whom Morrison has endorsed; Councilmember Jose Rodriguez; Biological consultant Mitchel Beauchamp; and STEM-enrichment instructor Jacob Castrejon.
National City is facing a nearly $13 million deficit and here's what the four candidates say about their qualifications and their approach to the budget:
Jose Rodriguez
Rodriguez has served on the National City City Council since 2020 and is running for mayor for the second time. He previously worked as a labor organizer and community organizer, including with the San Diego Organizing Project and the San Diego-Imperial Counties Labor Council.
Rodriguez said the city needs to acknowledge that it cannot continue operating with annual deficits.
He said he would start by examining the city's reserves and cutting expenses before eliminating individual jobs. That could include freezing salaries for executives and management and freezing new positions, he said.
“We cannot run deficits forever,” Rodriguez said. “We have to take a look at cuts.”
He also wants to generate additional revenue, including through an updated business license tax.
Marcus Bush
Bush has served on the City Council since 2020 and represents District 4. He is a lifelong National City resident and a 2006 graduate of Sweetwater High School.
Before joining the council, Bush served on the city's Planning Commission and became its youngest chair at age 26. He also served on the National City Chamber of Commerce board and as president of the National City Rotary Club.
Bush has received Morrison's endorsement in the mayoral race.
On the budget, Bush said the city's newly hired city manager should first have time to evaluate every department and identify potential savings.
Bush said he's not just about making cuts.
“It's not all about cuts, because too much cuts are going to impact our working families here,” Bush said.
Instead, he wants to pair spending reductions with efforts to generate additional revenue.
Bush pointed to parking and long-term development opportunities as potential sources of new revenue, saying the city should get its spending under control before asking taxpayers for more money.
Mitchel Beauchamp
Beauchampserved two terms as a National City councilman and four terms as city treasurer. He also served as a director of the Sweetwater Authority and as a Navy officer in the Western Pacific.
Beauchamp said his experience managing local government and financial responsibilities gives him a perspective on the city's current fiscal challenges.
His approach would include reducing the city's workforce.
“Because of the situation, we have to do a reduction in force,” Beauchamp said, adding that the city has faced similar situations before.
He also criticized the proposed changes to the city's business license tax, saying the proposal could drive businesses and sales to neighboring cities.
The city has been considering a business license tax overhaul as it looks for ways to increase revenue. Business groups have opposed the proposal, warning that higher taxes could hurt local businesses.
Beauchamp said he is working with the Chamber of Commerce and local businesses on what he described as a better approach, as the business license remains a potential source of revenue.
Jacob Castrejon
Castrejon is a newcomer to elected office. He said his qualifications come from a combination of nonprofit organizing, political activism and experience working in government.
Castrejon said he served as vice chair of the UC San Diego chapter of the California Public Interest Research Group, where he organized community drives and participated in lobbying efforts in Sacramento.
He also worked as an intern for state Sen. Steve Padilla, where he said he gained experience observing how elected officials work with constituents, other politicians and policy issues.
On the budget, Castrejon said he is concerned about the impact of cutting city services.
“Cutting service ends up hurting our community in some form or fashion,” he said.
Rather than relying primarily on cuts, Castrejon said the city should look for outside funding, including state and federal grants.
His idea is to use grant funding to supplement programs where possible, freeing up city money that could then be redirected toward reducing the deficit.
