Established political players in Chula Vista
Chula Vista is a big city that has yet to achieve its big potential. With 250,000 people, it is the region’s second-largest city, but it lacks the economic base of even some smaller North County cities. It has an Olympic Training Center, but not that many Olympic athletes and it loses money. It has land for a big-time university campus, but not yet a university.
It is against this backdrop that Chula Vista voters will go to the polls Nov. 4 to elect a new mayor to succeed termed-out Mayor Cheryl Cox and two other members of the five-member City Council.
All but one of the candidates are established political players in Chula Vista and well-known to voters: Jerry Rindone and Mary Salas for mayor; John McCann and Steve Padilla for one council seat; Pat Aguilar and Dan Smith, the only newcomer, for the other council seat.
These races are all about who can deliver the goods:
• Who can best implement the plan for rebirth of the scraggly Chula Vista bayfront? At 556 acres, it has the potential to transform Chula Vista economically.
• Who has the best ideas for the 19-year-old, 155-acre Olympic Training Center? The U.S. Olympic Committee is said to be losing money on it and would reportedly like the city to take it over. Is there a way to do that and to better serve both the athletes and the broader public?