Chula Vista District 1 Council member John McCann, Republican, is running for seat being vacated by Mayor Mary Casillas Salas against Democrat Ammar Campa-Najjar. McCann said as a third generation Chula Vistan he has dedicated his life to serving the residents of Chula Vista. McCann works in the medical technology industry, but along with his wife, Myssie, they have been 30-year business owners in a business and technology management industry.
McCann said as mayor, he will “get the city back to common sense, making the priorities of public safety first, supporting small businesses, local jobs, and combatting homelessness.”
McCann said he wants to become mayor because he loves Chula Vista.
“I believe I have the passion, experience, and proven results to get Chula Vista to the next level,” he said. “Improving the quality of life will be my top priority, by strengthening public safety, stewarding the bayfront development, investing in the revitalization of our older communities by building sidewalks and underground powerlines, while protecting single family neighborhoods from over development, advancing Chula Vista’s university and innovation district.”
McCann said in the early 2000s, the city had efforts to underground powerlines and build sidewalks and improve infrastructure in older communities.
“I want to bring that underground powerline sidewalk program back to the city,” he said. “When we did the project over by Oxford Street, the project literally went straight north from Naples Street, you could see where we did go underground, it was alive with kids riding tricycles, and you go to the other side it was a nice street, but it was not as active, and it was not being utilized as efficiently.
Undergrounding the powerlines and installing the sidewalks really helped provide a higher level of quality for the areas we were successful at.”
McCann said for the unsheltered, he has worked with nonprofits and city leaders to get homeless off the streets.
“As mayor, I will enhance the city’ long-term plans to break the cycle of homelessness by getting unhoused individuals in transformative care and innovative housing solutions,” he said. “I led efforts with other city leaders to create the Homeless Outreach Team, successfully getting homeless people off the streets and reducing crime in 2016. Earlier this year, Council supported building a bridge shelter, which is currently under construction and expected to open in January to allow individuals to get housing and wrap-around services when they are there to be able to get them better, and back into the main society.”
McCann said the city did an extensive search for the best operator in California. He said they found City Net, a nonprofit from Long Beach, which had the highest success rates of getting homeless people off the streets through its street outreach, case management, housing navigation, shelter operations, and selected City Net to operate the bridge shelter.
“We are working additionally with multiple other nonprofits to be able to collaboratively work together and strategize to make sure we can get people off the streets,” he said.
McCann said he was honored to be on the Council which began the process of master planning the bayfront.
“It was incredibly substantial,” he said. “Bringing in stakeholders from all areas, including environmental groups, business owners, community groups, to be able to master plan the bayfront. We were able to shepherd that, me and other members on the council, and now have approved and started the construction of a $1.2 billion Gaylord resort, which will be one of the beginnings of bringing in new revenue and being able to allow our citizens to have public access to the bayfront.”
McCann said with the Port of San Diego and developer’s presentation of a youth/sportsplex at the bayfront to Council for feedback before applying, that he is hoping that project will come to fruition.
“I have been working with Fred McDonald on his concept of putting a sports arena and public access to sports fields on the bayfront for over five years,” he said. “I have been a huge advocate of bringing that. We wanted to make sure that the Gaylord project was fully approved and started construction before we moved it forward to the city and the Port commission, because we did not want to throw a monkey wrench into the Gaylord project. But now that the Gaylord project is underway, I think the next stage in the bayfront should be the sports complex that was proposed. I think that it will only continue to upgrade our older communities and bring in the revenue to be able to invest in infrastructure and attract new high-quality services and businesses to the city.”
McCann said this project would match the vision of the bayfront, giving access to the bayfront, walking trails, sports facilities, have hotels and watch a game, just as other coastal cities do.
McCann said the west side deserves to have quality hotels, qualities amenities.
“I believe if we work on being able to revitalize the west side, we will be able to provide quality housing for low-income, middle-income, and high-income people. And we will be able to create the jobs to sustain that,” he said.
McCann said they have been successful in getting an agreement with the University of Saint Katherine.
“We also have a new school Chula Vista Christian University,” he said.
“We have many interested parties. This will be a long-term process, but I have been part of the council to dedicate the land to ensure we have land for the university, and I think by helping build Millenia, would be a mini Silicon Valley to bring in jobs and creating the innovation district that we will have the opportunity to have the new university, the jobs, and employment all in the same place in Chula Vista.”
McCann said he has attracted new businesses to the city, and helped over 100 businesses open up in Chula Vista.
“By having an innovation district, and having area dedicated to provide quality commercial area for businesses, which will allow new businesses and current businesses to move to Chula Vista,” he said.
“So, people do not just live and play in Chula Vista, but they also can work here, which will stimulate our economy and help improve the quality of life for all our residents.”
McCann said he has spent almost his entire life in Chula Vista.
“Working to improve the city and enhancements to all the residents in the city that I love,” he said. “We have raised our children here and we have been involved in our community organizations to make Chula Vista a wonderful place. I am proud of my accomplishments to develop the bayfront plan, which will transform our economy. I love the efforts to increase police funding and officer retention. I ensured that our 9-1-1 response times improved and increased in our neighborhoods. My opponent lists no records of accomplishments, or involvement in community issues at the city of Chula Vista. He has pursued a career as a partisan political operative spending much of the last decade running for political office multiple times in East County.”
McCann said he is a Navy veteran and lifelong Chula Vistan, and as mayor, he will serve the city he loves.
“I will devote all my energy in improving services, enhancing safety, and expanding economic opportunity,” he said. “I have been involved in this community for approximately three decades. All the way from being on the Housing Advisory Commission, being on the Planning Commission, all my work with nonprofits, then being on Council for two terms, then mobilized to fight the Iraq War. Getting back on council in 2014. I have been there to help the start of the bayfront as a team member. We have tackled most of the major problems, and now when problems like the homeless come up, we are now tackling them. I have been there. I am not using this as a stepping stone. I am looking at being to help the city that I grew up in. My kids live here. And now my grandkids live here.”
