SOTELO-SOLIS DELIVERS NATIONAL CITY ADDRESS

Mayor speaks of increasing revenue, adding housing

New efforts to increase revenue, build housing and bring back community events are among the top priorities for National City next year, said Mayor Alejandra Sotelo-solis in her State of the City speech Thursday.

Last year, she said, was all about improving the community’s health by increasing distributions of personal protective equipment and offering COVID-19 tests and vaccinations.

“It was a time where we were trying to get back to normalcy, to recognizing that as a community we wanted to see each other in person,” she said.

In terms of COVID-19 infections, National City was among the hardest-hit cities in San Diego County. To date, about 77 percent of the South County city’s 61,000 population is fully vaccinated, Sotelo-solis said.

The new year will have a larger focus on boosting the local economy to maintain a balanced budget the city is projecting to have for the first time in 10 years.

Its proposed budget forecasts $66.5 million in revenue and $65.1 million in expenditures, leaving a surplus of $1.4 million, according to City Manager Brad Raulston. The surplus is thanks to $6 million in federal stimulus dollars the city will distribute over the course of three years into its general fund, which pays for day-to-day operations.

“It is important to retain control on that general fund with discretionary spending,” said Sotelo-solis, because the surplus won’t last indefinitely. At a budget workshop Tuesday, Raulston said the city will count on revenue from its new cannabis market and finish projects that will bring in millions of dollars annually in sales tax, such as a Carmax used-car dealership.

New housing is also planned for the city, including a 22-story affordable housing project along Interstate 5 that is expected to break ground in 2023 and the “agefriendly” development under way downtown that will have two five-story apartments, a new senior center and a health care clinic.

More community projects are also on the horizon with $3 million in federal stimulus funding the city has yet to assign. In a recent survey, residents shared they want dog parks, splash pads, aid for businesses and other uses. The City Council is expected to decide soon how the money will be spent.

National City is also planning to bring back a series of community events, including its Pride Parade in July, flag-raising ceremonies and lowrider cruising events slated for the first Friday of every month from May through October.

tammy.murga @sduniontribune.com

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