Retiring Mayor Leaves National City a Legacy of Success

Kile Morgan has another dream for National City, the South Bay blue-collar community that gets almost no respect from the rest of San Diego County.

But time has caught up with the boss who has ruled his roost for 20 years, often despite the City Council. Morgan is retiring in December, and it appears that his latest dream will fall by the wayside, never to be realized in the asphalt that, in his eyes, is synonymous with progress.

After his first election as mayor in 1966, Morgan’s initial dream materialized in the celebrated National City Mile of Cars--19 new car dealerships that line National City Boulevard from 16th to 30th streets. Were he not stepping down, Morgan is convinced that he could once again put his persuasive powers to work to bring the City Council to his way of thinking. What his beloved National City really needs is TWO Miles of Cars lining both sides of the town’s main drag, Morgan said.

“If I’d stayed down there (mayor’s office), I’d build two miles of cars. That’s what I’d want them to advertise on television--two miles instead of one,” Morgan said. “They’re making new car brands all the time, and I’d like to see every car brand made; every one of these brands sold on this Two Miles of Cars.”

However, that is not likely to happen. Local politicians say that Morgan’s retirement is opening the doors to a new era in National City politics. His influential will and arm-twisting political style were just what the city needed 20 years ago, when it was teetering on the brink of bankruptcy.

But times have changed and suddenly Morgan, some observers say, has become a political anachronism. Morgan, 66, denies that his influence is waning, but there are signs that his mandate no longer thunders through City Hall as before, and other politicians are beginning to question his decisions. He admits that he is “giving up the fight,” but says that he decided to retire because he wants to spend more time with his family and on the golf course.

No, the City Council, which is showing more signs of independence, had nothing to do with his retirement plans, Morgan said. But others say otherwise.

“National City is changing. The council has changed. And when the mayor could no longer control the council, well, that was like the handwriting on the wall,” said Councilman Jess E. van Deventer, who is one of five candidates for mayor. “ . . . You could say that time has caught up with him . . . but National City will go on, if only because of his fine work and lasting contributions to this town.”

Recently, Morgan lost political battles where nobody would have thought of challenging him a few years ago. The mayor was on the losing end of council votes to build a new police station, new curbs for residential neighborhoods and a gymnasium for Las Palmas Park. Instead, Morgan preferred a new civic center over a police station and he wanted the curbs installed with property tax receipts rather than utilizing business taxes. He opposed the new gym altogether.

Van Deventer is an admirer of Morgan, despite the fact that both men were often at odds over Morgan’s confrontational, “we’ll do it my way” style of governing. Even Morgan’s detractors grudgingly admit that he single-handedly saved the city from bankruptcy when he took office.

The mayor has chronicled his accomplishments so that others will not forget who made National City what it is today. All of his major accomplishment--raising sales tax revenues from $500,000 to $8 million a year, the two senior citizens’ apartment towers of 150 rooms each, paved streets and gutters--all these and more are mentioned in a 56-page political autobiography that Morgan has printed and stuffed in ring binders that he gives out.

For those who do not have time to read the lengthy record of accomplishments, Morgan offers a quick oral rundown with the aid of six home-made charts that he carries in his car.

“I’m glad you ask. I’ll be right back,” His Honor said to a visitor who asked him to list his major accomplishments. Minutes later, the visitor was handed a copy of Morgan’s autobiography and treated to a 15-minute presentation with the aid of the charts.

“You know, National City was always seen as a hick town,” Morgan said. “We were the dumping ground for anything that the rest of San Diego County didn’t want. I can’t begin to tell you how many jokes I’ve heard about National City. But all that is changing. National City gets respect now.”

Morgan leaves no doubt about why National City has changed from a hick town to a growing city that is attempting to recruit its share of Yuppie residents.

“I’m responsible for all these changes,” said the mayor, son of a Missouri share cropper. But what about the council? Surely, they played a role, if only to rubber-stamp his policies.

“Sometimes I was ahead of the council, and maybe I should’ve brought them up to date,” he said. “I know that sometimes I didn’t take time to communicate with the council; but never the people. But sometimes that was the only way to get things done. If you know what’s right, sometimes you just gotta do it now, and explain it later.”