The Chula Vista City Council members are a mayor elected citywide and four council members elected one each from the city’s four geographic districts. Together they set policy for California’s fourteenth-largest city, pass local ordinances, and approve an annual budget that reached roughly $617 million in fiscal year 2025–2026. They meet on the first four Tuesdays of each month at City Hall, and residents can address them during public comment.
Who Sits on the Council
The council has five seats: a mayor elected by voters across the whole city, and four council members each elected by voters within a single district.1City of Chula Vista. Functions and Duties The mayor presides over meetings and brings the citywide view; the four district members carry the perspective of specific neighborhoods.
Mayor John McCann is a lifelong Chula Vista resident, Navy veteran, and small-business owner. His current term runs through December 2026.2City of Chula Vista. Mayor John McCann He previously served on the council from 2002 to 2010 and then as the District 1 representative from 2014 to 2022.3Ballotpedia. John McCann (California)
Carolina Chavez represents District 1, which covers the northwestern neighborhoods including the historic urban center and the bayfront corridor. She is the first Latina and binational council member to hold the seat, with a background in regional economic policy and public health advocacy along the California-Baja border.4City of Chula Vista. District 1 – Councilmember Carolina Chavez
District 2 covers northeastern Chula Vista, including Bonita Long Canyon, San Miguel Ranch, and Rancho del Rey. District 3 covers the fast-growing southeastern communities, including Otay Ranch and Eastlake. District 4 covers the southwestern areas and the established urban core; former appointee Rachel Morineau completed a partial term filling a prior vacancy there. All three seats went through elections or transitions in 2024, so check the city’s mayor and council page for the current officeholders.
What the Council Does
The council is the city’s legislative body. It passes ordinances that function as local law on land use, zoning, public safety, and similar matters, and it adopts the annual budget. Total city expenditures reached approximately $617 million in fiscal year 2025–2026.
The council also hires the city’s top appointed officials: the City Manager, who runs daily operations, and the City Attorney, who serves at the council’s pleasure under Charter Section 500(a).1City of Chula Vista. Functions and Duties It appoints the City Clerk as well. Because these officials answer to the council, a shift in council direction can mean a change at the top.
Council members do not run departments or supervise employees. Charter Section 305 prohibits any member from ordering the City Manager to hire or fire anyone and, outside formal inquiries, from contacting city staff except through the City Manager.5City of Chula Vista. Charter of the City of Chula Vista – Section 305 A violation can lead to censure or removal.
Elections, Terms, and Contribution Limits
To run for mayor, a candidate must be a registered voter and resident of Chula Vista when nomination papers are issued and must stay a resident throughout the term. Council candidates face the same rules plus a district rule: they must live in the district they want to represent when they pick up nomination papers and must remain there for the full term.6Charter of the City of Chula Vista. Sec. 300 Members, Eligibility, and Terms
The mayor and council members serve four-year terms and are limited to two terms.1City of Chula Vista. Functions and Duties Elections are staggered so the whole council is never on the ballot at once.
Chula Vista sets its own campaign contribution limits rather than relying on California’s state defaults.7California Fair Political Practices Commission. Contribution Limits – City and County Candidates Under the municipal code, an individual can give no more than $350 to a candidate per election. Political party committees can give up to $1,190 per candidate per election. A general election and a special election count separately, and the limits are adjusted every two years.8City of Chula Vista. Proposed Amendment to Chula Vista Municipal Code Chapter 2.52
Vacancies, Censure, and Recall
When a seat opens mid-term, the remaining council members can fill it by appointment under Charter Section 303(C). The City Clerk must open an application period within five calendar days of the vacancy being formally declared, and that window stays open for 14 days.9City of Chula Vista. Appointment Process to Fill Vacancies on the City Council
If four or fewer qualified candidates apply, the council interviews all of them in a public meeting and votes. If five or more apply, the council first holds a nomination meeting at which each sitting member nominates applicants in writing; only applicants who receive at least two nominations advance to interviews. An appointment requires at least three affirmative votes.9City of Chula Vista. Appointment Process to Fill Vacancies on the City Council
Removal works two ways. Under Charter Section 305, the council itself can censure or remove a member for breaching the charter’s limits on administrative interference.5City of Chula Vista. Charter of the City of Chula Vista – Section 305 Voters can also pursue a recall or petition for ballot measures. As of January 2026, the city has 175,941 registered voters; a citizen-initiated initiative requires signatures from 10 percent of registered voters, and a charter amendment requires 15 percent.10City of Chula Vista. City Measures/Petitions
How to Reach the Council
Regular meetings are held on the first four Tuesdays of each month at 5:00 p.m. in the Council Chambers at City Hall, 276 Fourth Avenue.11City of Chula Vista. City Council Meetings California’s Brown Act requires the agenda to be posted at least 72 hours before each regular meeting.12State of California. The Brown Act – Open Meetings for Legislative Bodies
To speak, submit a Request to Speak form to the City Clerk before the relevant comment period closes. Speakers generally get three minutes for agenda items, consent calendar items, and general public comment on non-agenda topics, though the presiding officer can adjust the time. Written comments and emails must be submitted by noon on the day of a regular meeting. The city live-streams meetings and posts archived recordings on its website.11City of Chula Vista. City Council Meetings
Residents who want ongoing influence on a specific policy area can apply to serve on one of the council’s advisory boards. These include the Board of Ethics, Charter Review Commission, Civil Service Commission, Housing and Homelessness Advisory Commission, Parks and Recreation Commission, and the Measure A and Measure P Citizens’ Oversight Committees that watch how voter-approved sales tax revenue is spent. Additional bodies cover cultural arts, public health and aging, human relations, and library services.13City of Chula Vista. Boards, Commissions, and Committees Applications go through the City Clerk’s office.