Candidates in the National City mayoral and City Council races explained to voters at a Wednesday night forum why they should be elected into City Hall.
Among the issues discussed were Prop. D, support for local businesses and the economic and employment climate in National City.
Candidate Albert Mendivil said if elected his goal is to alleviate homelessness in the community.
“The one issue that is burning for me and is a passion for me is the homeless people that I see on the streets,” he said.
“I believe we are not called to turn our backs on them. We need to help them. We need to have programs. We need to put our minds together and have some solution to this issue.”
Mendivil said he understands some homeless people don’t want help but, nevertheless, resources should still be available to them.
Mendivil was raised in National City and served 30 years as an educator in the city.
Council incumbent Mona Rios said she has the integrity, leadership and experience to help National City prosper.
“As your representative, I enacted city policy, enacting ordinances and adopted budgets,” she said.
Candidate Ken Seaton-Msemaji said he will encourage employment and economic development through infrastructure.
“We have buildings that are very old that need to be taken out and replaced or some that aren’t old that need to be retrofitted to higher standards,” he said.
“That kind of public works and construction provides job opportunities to our young people.”
National City’s council elections are at-large in which the two highest vote-getters win their respective races.
In the mayoral race, incumbent Ron Morrison said he is running for reelection because he has unfinished business.
“There is a lot of work that still needs to be done,” he said. “We’ve come fantastic strides in the last few years. We’ve moved ahead in areas while other cities we’re moving backward. We have a lot of things to do.”
Morrison said he wants to add new businesses to National City and increase the city’s quality of life.
Morrison’s challenger, Councilman Luis Natividad, said he is running for mayor to make a difference in the lives of residents.
“I have the experience to lead and represent all of the citizens of National City,” he said. “I want to run (for mayor) to represent all of the people of National City.
Natividad is giving up his council seat to run for mayor. If he loses, Natividad can’t return to the City Council.
All candidates endorsed Prop. D, a measure to continue the one-cent sales tax for the next 20 years.
“I think Prop. D is one of the best things that the mayor and City Council has ever done,” Seaton-Msemaji said.
“Without Prop. D we would have lost a lot of our police department, fire department and city programs.”
Candidates said if citizens do not vote to extend Prop. D then the city will face numerous cuts across the board and a depletion of city services and programs.
Lifelong National City resident Rita Heuss said the debate was informative and that there are good candidates in the races.
She said she is happy with the current administration and is voting for Morrison.
“I think the city has come a long way in the past few years,” she said.
Barbara Avalos did not attend the event.
