National City officials will meet Friday in a special, closed session to discuss City Manager Ben Martinez’s employment and consider appointing an interim city manager, according to an agenda the municipality released Thursday.
The personnel change would come as the City Council confronts a multimillion-dollar budget deficit, multiple lawsuits and major negotiations with the Port of San Diego over public safety services the municipality provides at Port facilities.
Several critics have raised concerns that these issues, among others, have occurred under Martinez’s watch, leaving City Hall in a state of disarray. Many of those points were brought up during public comment Tuesday, just before city leaders gathered behind closed doors to review Martinez’s performance.
City Attorney Barry Schultz, whose performance was also evaluated at that meeting, said in open session Tuesday that city leaders took “no reportable action,” but apparently a majority decided to replace Martinez, who was hired for the role in December 2023.
Mayor Ron Morrison declined to comment on the matter Thursday. But some of his council colleagues expressed a clear divide ahead of Friday’s meeting.
Councilmember Jose Rodriguez called the scheduled discussions “impulsive” and overall “a bad decision.”
“Any decision that we make for leadership requires a careful, diligent and well-thought-out plan that encomes all of the council ,” he said. “This was the opposite.”
But Councilmember Marcus Bush said the city has been dealing with “very serious operational issues” that require immediate attention. “We need ability,” he said. Nearly two years ago, the City Council unanimously approved Martinez’s contract. The move came after several months of unexpected turnover in the city manager’s position.
In April 2023, the city and former City Manager Brad Raulston agreed to part ways. Raulston had taken a leave of absence to care for his mother, he said at the time, but his performance had also been under scrutiny.
Officials selected Armando Vergara to replace Raulston, but Vergara died of natural causes in late June 2023. Deputy City Manager Scott Huth stepped in as acting city manager. In August 2023, Martinez was appointed as the interim city manager.
Martinez was hired permanently for the role with an annual salary of $255,719, plus benefits, including a yearly vehicle allowance of $9,000. The city has also provided him with a monthly housing allowance of $1,200. His contract, which included a 6 percent raise in 2024, expires next year.
City leaders said there was a renewed sense of stability at City Hall in filling the city manager position permanently.
But, in recent months, the City Council has faced a series of political and legal disputes, some of which have worsened under Martinez’s leadership, many argue.
Among them is the city’s handling of its cannabis license program. Two businesses are suing National City for allegedly mishandling their applications for storefront permits and wrongfully disqualifying them. Instead, those licenses went to companies based out of the region and without any legal, local owners. Late last year, at a City Council meeting, a National City resident testified that her signature was wrongfully used by one of the companies to qualify for a license. The city has stated that the issue must be resolved between the company and the resident.
Others have also raised concerns about the city’s inability to avoid budget deficits and whether it will successfully and timely secure full reimbursement funds from the Port for providing municipal services.
The closed session meeting starts at noon.
