Residents urge an independent city manager and allege obstruction, council recesses to closed session

Public commenters at a National City special council meeting on Sep. 2 urged the council to appoint an independent, accountable city manager and accused the mayor and his assistant of interfering with the city manager's duties and public records processes.

"I believe we need an independent and accountable City Manager," Mika Planko said during the public-comment period, adding that "the former city manager wasn't the only thing that disappeared. Benjamin Martinez' phone vanished after public records were requested" and that call logs produced by the city were heavily redacted.

Louise McCarthy told the council National City "is supposed to function in a city manager form of government" and said the mayor and his assistant "usurped the authority of the city manager and obstructed the city manager's ability to discipline city employees," adding an allegation that the mayor's assistant "improperly touched and commented on the physical attributes of a city employee."

Alexander Guthrie and Daniel Kaye made similar points. Guthrie urged candidates for city manager to "carefully review the pattern of misconduct by the mayor and his assistant," and Kaye framed the role as a professional, nonpolitical administrator, citing the International City and County Management Association on the position's historic purpose.

The claims at the dais included assertions that the city failed to produce unredacted records related to a public health nuisance project and that former City Manager Benjamin Martinez's city phone was missing after records requests. Commenters asked whether the mayor and two council members had disclosed reasons for Martinez's departure to candidates for the new city manager.

The council did not take a public vote or make an appointment at the meeting. City Attorney (name not stated) announced the council would go into closed session to consider four items: public employee appointment (city manager) pursuant to Government Code section 54957(b)(1); conference with legal counsel regarding existing litigation (Delgado et al. v. City of National City) under Government Code section 54956.9(d)(1); conference with counsel regarding anticipated litigation; and conference with labor negotiators under Government Code section 54957.6. The presiding officer recessed the meeting into closed session and said the council would report out at the end of the meeting.

Council members and attendees briefly exchanged heated remarks after public comment; one council member described earlier remarks as fiction and attendees criticized council behaviors during the discussion. No formal motions or votes were recorded on the public record during this special session. The meeting moved into closed session for the items listed by the city attorney.