National City Mayor Ron Morrison announced Saturday that he will not seek reelection, bringing an end to more than three decades of public service and setting up a November election to determine who will lead the city next. Morrison made the announcement during a news conference, saying he believ es it is time to pass the baton to someone else. “Like anything, there’s times for things to come to an end,” Morrison said. “So for that — saying that — I’ve decided not to turn in my papers for reelection this time.” Morrison has served as National City’s mayor for years and said this will be his final year in office. But his successor will inherit a city facing significant financial challenges. National City finalized its budget in June with a projected $12 million deficit, with the city having roughly $13 million in reserves. Morrison said addressing the deficit will be one of his top priorities during his remaining time in office. “We’re gonna have to deal with this budget like you would not believe,” Morrison said. “We cannot wait another year to touch it.” The mayor said balancing the budget could require significant cuts, including reductions to city services and potentially staffing levels. “That’s going to mean services, possibly levels of personnel,” Morrison said. “It can mean a lot of things, but we’ve got to make some serious cuts.” National City entered the current budget cycle with a deficit of about $16 million and had to cut at least $4 million to meet state standards. With Morrison’s decision, voters will now choose a new mayor while also deciding who will fill two seats on the City Council for Districts 1 and 3. Morrison has endorsed Councilmember Marcus Bush to succeed him. Councilmember Jose Rodriguez has also filed as a candidate. For longtime members of the community, the election represents an opportunity to shape the direction of a city undergoing significant changes. Rosemary Gonzalez grew up in National City, though she now lives in Eastlake with her family. She said she wants to see candidates focus on issues affecting longtime residents, including public safety, development and economic opportunity. Gonzalez said she has seen both the benefits and drawbacks of new development and businesses in the city. “Gentrification — I mean I see the pros and cons, right?” Gonzalez said. “We have all these cute little new businesses, but I think it’s always important to make sure that we’re not like outsourcing that and giving opportunities to our people here in the neighborhood.” She said voters should look beyond campaign promises when deciding who should lead the city. “Do your research and vote for the people and the policies and the programs that’re going to improve this community and that are hyper-focused on our community,” Gonzalez said. “Not just saying words, but we need to see the proof, the programs, the funding, the initiative and the commitment to our community here.” National City residents have about four months to decide who will be National City’s next mayor. Morrison said he is confident voters will have enough time to evaluate the candidates before Election Day. National City residents who want to run for mayor have until August 12 to file their candidacy. The general election is November 3. This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC San Diego. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC San Diego journalist edited the article for publication. ...read more read less