There are two candidates on the Nov. 8 ballot running for a four-year term to be the next mayor of Chula Vista: Republican City Council member John McCann and Democratic businessman Ammar Campa-Najjar. Here are McCann’s answers to an 18-question survey The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board emailed the candidates.
Q: Why do you want this job and what would be your top priority?
A: I am proud to be a product of Chula Vista’s working-class culture. Karin McCann, my mom, raised me and my sister. My mom was a single mother and worked at the Rohr Industries factory for almost 30 years in Chula Vista. Chula Vista is my home. Early on, I could see that Chula Vista lacked a tremendous number of features like a quality bayfront, quality housing and infrastructure.
I have dedicated my life to serving my hometown and improving Chula Vista by moving the city’s potential into reality. Serving as a city commissioner, Navy veteran, four-time City Council member and four-time deputy mayor, I have been a fierce advocate of Chula Vista and feel honored to work together with Chula Vista’s leadership. Together we master-planned the bayfront project and brought its construction into reality. I was part of the master planning and approval of eastern Chula Vista, with Eastlake being selected 10 years in a row as the best new home community. I helped make improvements to Chula Vista’s Downtown Third Avenue that have allowed new restaurants and microbreweries to thrive.
I want to be mayor because I love Chula Vista and believe I have the passion, experience and proven results to get Chula Vista to the next level. Improving the quality of life will be my top priority by strengthening public safety, stewarding the bayfront redevelopment, investing in the revitalization of our older communities by building sidewalks and undergrounding power lines, while protecting single-family neighborhoods from overdevelopment and advancing Chula Vista’s University and Innovation District.
Q: What is the biggest accomplishment of your career?
A: I am most proud of my service in the Navy. Rising to commander from an enlisted sailor was challenging but enormously rewarding.
As a City Council member, I’m proud that I was a leader in bringing people together, listening to their ideas and creating solutions for the community. We brought together the stakeholders from all different positions to master-plan the Chula Vista bayfront. For 40 years, the bayfront had only been a concept. By bringing the stakeholders from the business, environmental and neighborhood groups together with the goal of creating a public bayfront, we were able to get a strong consensus that ultimately received unanimous approval from the California Coastal Commission, the San Diego Port Commission and current City Council. I am proud to be one member of a team of many mayors, council members, port commissioners and staff over the last 20 years who worked together to create the plan that is now under construction.
As a City Council member, I have held and attended over 300 community meetings, including coffee with a council member, neighborhood planning meetings, State of the District, Neighborhood Watch, etc. This has led to improving major projects like the bayfront, upgrading Chula Vista’s Third Avenue and creating the Innovation District to create new jobs. It has led to small important projects of creating student drop-off zones at schools, dog parks, accessible playground equipment, building sidewalks, undergrounding power lines and pickleball courts.
Q: Assess Chula Vista’s approach to its homeless population. What can and should be done differently? Do you support safe villages and safe parking areas for unsheltered residents? Why or why not? Where within city limits would you put one?
A: I have worked with nonprofits and city leaders to get homeless people off the streets. As mayor, I will enhance the city’s long-term plans to break the cycle of homelessness by getting unhoused individuals into transformative care and innovative housing solutions.
I worked with city leaders and multiple nonprofits to create and approve the Homeless Outreach Team in Chula Vista in 2016. The Homeless Outreach Team has been successful in getting homeless people off the streets and into housing and reducing crime.
At the beginning of this year, I supported Chula Vista in building a bridge shelter that will provide services that will result in helping end street-level homelessness in Chula Vista. We have contracted with City Net, a top nonprofit in California, which has had one of the highest success rates in getting homeless people off the streets through its street outreach, case management, housing navigation, shelter operations, reunifications and more. The bridge shelter is currently under construction and is expected to open in January.
I do not support the placement of safe parking areas in residential neighborhoods. The city should evaluate the placement of a safe parking zone adjacent to the future bridge shelter. The city needs to get homeless people off the streets and create lasting solutions by receiving wraparound services at the bridge shelter.
Q: Chula Vista is deciding how to proceed on Harborside Park, which had become a camp for homeless people and the city has now closed. What should be done with that park? How should the city handle other homeless encampments?
A: As an experienced leader, I know it is necessary to make tough decisions to protect our children. I supported closing Harborside Park because it became a public safety and health issue. Sacramento’s soft-on-crime policies took away the ability for our police to secure this area, resulting in unacceptable major criminal activity and drug use adjacent to an elementary school.
Harborside Park belongs to the community of Harborside. The city will be having several neighborhood meetings to listen to the community and determine how we can reimagine Harborside Park to become a safe place for families and children to play.
Q: What would you do differently to build more, and more affordable, housing in Chula Vista over the next four years?
A: I have a stellar record of over 20 years of increasing affordable homeownership in Chula Vista while being on the City Council for four terms, the Planning Commission and the Housing Advisory Commission. Under my leadership, we have planned and approved major sections of the award-winning master-planned communities of Eastlake, Otay Ranch, Rolling Hills, Sunbow and San Miguel Ranch, providing thousands of families with homeownership and the American dream in Chula Vista.
I have been an advocate for affordable homeownership for our working-class and middle-class residents, who have been termed the “missing middle.” I recently worked with stakeholders to plan and approve the Sunbow South Project with exclusively 718 affordable for-sale units, and no rental units, in the project. These units will start at the high $300,000 level to allow residents, especially younger people, the ability to enter into homeownership, build intergenerational wealth and help give financial stability to their families.
Approximately 40 percent of the cost of new housing is government. As mayor, I will work with our home builders, the Building Industry Association and community experts to streamline processes, innovate with technology to decrease time frames, increase incentives for homeownership and increase first-time homebuyer programs.
Q: What part of the city do you live in and how long have you lived in the city? What would you do to ensure neighborhood equity in a city known for its east and its west?
A: I am the only lifelong resident running for mayor. I grew up in Chula Vista’s older communities off Orange Avenue for over 20 years. My wife and I purchased a home in east Chula Vista and have lived there and raised our four children there for over 25 years.
I have proven results in reinvesting back into our older neighborhoods’ sidewalks and undergrounding power lines and protecting single-family neighborhoods from overdevelopment. I approved the police station and two new fire stations on the west side to make sure the surrounding communities have the highest level of public safety available.
I was a leader on the City Council that drafted the master plan to develop the $1.2 billion Chula Vista bayfront. As mayor, I will use a dedicated amount from the bayfront project revenue to invest in infrastructure in our western communities by upgrading streets and sewer systems, and restoring the city’s commitment to critically needed improvements. This will include areas like the Broadway corridor.
Q: Chula Vista politicians have long promised bigger developments at Chula Vista to make it better for residents and workers. What is your vision for creating more jobs, attracting more tourism and improving quality of life?
A: As a 30-year successful small business owner, I know what it takes to run, open and attract new business to Chula Vista. I have helped over 200 businesses open and expand in Chula Vista. These included the first Apple Store, Trader Joe’s, In-N-Out Burger, Chick-fil-A and much more.
I was one of the city leaders who met with the Gaylord executives and approved the final requirements to start the construction of the $1.2 billion Gaylord Pacific Resort and Convention Center, the main component of the Chula Vista Bayfront Master Plan. The project will create 10,000 construction jobs and 4,000 permanent jobs.
I led efforts to plan and create the University Innovation District. As mayor, I will be dedicated to bringing high-tech jobs to Chula Vista’s Innovation District by having shovel-ready locations for companies to locate their businesses.
Q: Opening a university campus in Chula Vista has long been a dream for many. What would you do to facilitate that?
A: The university campus in Chula Vista is now moving toward reality with the city’s agreement with San Diego State University to relocate its TV and film program to Chula Vista. This $89 million project will create a new center that will offer multiple undergraduate and graduate programs. This is the beginning of the potential creation of an SDSU satellite campus, which will lay the foundation for a Cal State Chula Vista.
As mayor, I will finalize the selection of the master developer for the university campus and work collaboratively with it to implement the infrastructure and housing to advance the building of a university in Chula Vista.
Q: Chula Vista residents suffered needlessly during the trash strike that started last December. What should have been done differently? How will you ensure that never happens again?
A: The 2013 agreement with the trash hauler was negotiated and approved when I was not a member of the City Council. Elements of that agreement limited the city’s authority and reduced the council’s ability to bring an equitable end to the strike. The city was hamstrung by the current contract prohibiting the city from using self-help measures and bringing in contactors to pick up trash, recycled material and yard waste. As mayor, I will require the new contract, up for renewal in 2024, to include multiple provisions that allow the city to use its own staff and also outside contractors to collect trash if a work stoppage occurs in the future.
To protect our residents and businesses, I will keep a very close watch on the prime contractor’s labor relations and work closely with both the company and labor organizations to assist in resolving issues in an equitable fashion prior to a future strike.
Q: Chula Vista is one of the most highly surveilled cities in the country, with law enforcement using drones, license-plate readers and traffic cameras. What is the right amount of surveillance and how do you balance this technology against privacy and equity concerns in the community?
A: The Chula Vista Police Department has been an innovator in properly using technology to fight crime and keep our residents safe, while using proper checks and balances to protect individuals’ privacy.
The drone program is a de-escalation tool that allows officers to better see and understand what is happening during a call. A drone is only dispatched during a call for service. They are not randomly flying around the city for monitoring purposes.
The Chula Vista Police Department uses the license-plate reader program effectively to receive alerts if a vehicle is stolen. If a license plate is flagged, the officer will need to go through multiple verifications and checks and balances to make sure privacy is fully protected. The license-plate reader recently led to the Chula Vista Police Department arresting a fugitive wanted for an alleged murder.
Q: What do you think of the city’s Climate Action Plan? Does it need to be updated, and, if so, how?
A: Chula Vista has already updated the city’s Climate Action Plan, and I voted for the city’s Climate Action Plan update.
I support the city waiving or lowering fees to improve incentives for residents and businesses to upgrade to more efficient and cost-effective lighting, heaters and windows.
Under my leadership, we have installed solar panels on 21 city facilities, which generates 4.5 megawatts of clean energy.
Q: From the beginning, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected communities of color disproportionately. Chula Vista is 60 percent Latino. As federal pandemic resources dry up, how do you envision working with San Diego County officials to help ensure people are safe going forward?
A: The city worked hand in hand with San Diego County, Scripps Hospital Chula Vista and Sharp Hospital Chula Vista to properly assist individuals infected with COVID-19. With the relationships we have built, we will work to ensure people are safe going forward.
Childcare became a major issue during the COVID-19 pandemic. The city of Chula Vista is working with nonprofits like the YMCA and the Boys & Girls Club and the business community to work together in a public-private partnership relationship to seek out ways to increase child care availability and lower the cost of child care for working families.
Q: What relationships do you have now with officials in Mexico? How would you seek to strengthen them as mayor of Chula Vista?
A: Chula Vista is the center of the San Diego-Tijuana economic megaregion. As mayor, I will appoint an international ombudsman to improve economic development in Chula Vista and improve international trade. Mayor Montserrat Caballero has been a courageous voice in opposition to criminal organizations in Tijuana. I pledge to provide full cooperation to her in improving her city and our region. In particular, I am determined to work with Baja leaders to seek a lasting solution to the persistent sewage problem off our coastline.
The city will continue to work with the South County Economic Development Council and the Otay Mesa Chamber of Commerce to build stronger cross-border economic ties.
Q: What would you say to residents of Chula Vista and their families who may be undocumented?
A: I supported Chula Vista being a welcoming city. I want undocumented families to come out of the shadows and become legal residents. Undocumented families are more likely to become victims of crime and less likely to contact authorities to report those crimes. The city should work with the federal government to engage families to become legal residents.
Q: What would you do to improve public safety and the relationship between the police and the community?
A: I am a strong supporter of community policing; Chula Vista is now the safest city in San Diego County, per SANDAG, and I am endorsed by the Chula Vista Police Officers Association.
I believe our partnership between police and community makes a difference. Attracting the best quality officers to the Chula Vista Police Department is a priority. I support the Chula Vista Police Department’s recruiting efforts within the city. Officers who live in the city will have a strong desire for equitable enforcement.
Our police department has created a positive relationship with the community. It engaged in multiple community outreach programs, like coffee with a cop, public safety meetings and National Night Out. Those are positive programs that I would expand.
Q: Chula Vista’s permitting process for recreational cannabis businesses has been plagued by legal setbacks. What would you do to streamline it and make it more equitable?
A: The application process for Chula Vista’s permitting process for recreational cannabis businesses has been completed. The permitting process has already been streamlined. Six of the facilities have already been opened, and the rest are moving into the tenant improvement process.
Q: What is your position on Proposition 1, which would establish the rights for Californians to an abortion and to contraceptives in the state Constitution?
A: I support a woman’s right to choose and strongly support access to contraceptives. I will accept and support the will of the voters on Proposition 1.
I have been a consistent supporter of women’s rights. As a City Council member in Chula Vista, I voted to hire the first female police chief and the first female city manager in Chula Vista’s history. I was also on the city manager recruitment committee with Mayor Salas that interviewed, recommended and voted to hire the first female city manager in Chula Vista’s history.
Q: Why should voters elect you over your opponent?
A: It’s simple. I have a record of making Chula Vista a better place to live and work. When someone tells you what they plan to do, ask them what they have already done.
I have spent almost my entire life in Chula Vista, working to improve the city and enhance opportunities for all the residents of the city I love. We raised our children here, and we have been involved in the many community organizations that make Chula Vista a wonderful place to live.
I am proud of my accomplishments. I worked to develop the bayfront plan, which will transform our economy. I led the effort to increase police funding and officer retention. I ensured that our 911 response times improved and increased neighborhood patrols.
As a council member, I successfully fought to have the state Route 125 toll road debt refinanced and tolls lowered, reducing traffic congestion and saving taxpayers $147 million. I was a leader in the effort to eliminate $350 million of unfunded pension debt, saving taxpayers $14 million a year, and preserving services and city employees’ retirements. That’s why I’m endorsed by the Chula Vista City Employees Association and the Police Officers Association.
My opponent lists no record 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.
I am a Navy veteran and lifelong Chula Vistan. As mayor, I will serve the city I love, and devote all my energies to improving services, enhancing safety and expanding economic opportunity.