Longtime Pacific Beach resident Jim Morrison said he has decided to become a candidate for next year’s District 2 San Diego City Council race. Morrison, a property manager, enters the race with a campaign platform focusing on jobs and the financial health of the city and its residents, he said. “Job creation is tantamount at this point in time,” Morrison said. “We have unemployment at double digits, 10 percent, highest since World War II in the state now, and it really needs to be aggressively addressed.” Five priorities he has set to focus on if elected include looking into fees and regulations for businesses; attracting businesses to the area; creating programs to create San Diego businesses and helping existing businesses expand; city pensions and the cost of running the city; and transportation infrastructure. Morrison said he plans to gain success dealing with these broad citywide issues “through talks with fellow council members and building coalitions and consensus with them, and then going to community groups and business groups and bringing them together on issues.” He said that he realizes he will need cooperation from others besides those on City Council, but he believes gaining cooperation is one of his strengths. “Most negotiations are 30 percent fact and the rest charm,” Morrison said. “I definitely like to lobby people for a common cause and bring them together. I’ve done that before on the Planning Committee,” he added. He said he has served on the Pacific Beach Community Planning Committee (PBCPC) on two different occasions for a total of nine years and is the sub chair of the PBCPC Traffic Committee. Police protection, street maintenance, maintaining wastewater pipes, making sure the parks are in good shape and retaining the operational hours of area city libraries are among his priorities within the district, Morrison said. “People in these economic times, they really rely on these things,” he said. “I want the sidewalks to be safe in regards to the residents, especially if they are walking to save gasoline, or to get exercise.” Morrison said he has lived in Pacific Beach for 40 years, since age 9, and that he has been involved as a volunteer at just about every Pacific Beach event, including Concerts on the Green, BeachFest and the Pacific Beach Christmas Parade. He even helped city workers remove trash from the shores of Sail Bay following the Fourth of July, he said. He is a member of the Pacific Beach Town Council and is actively trying to become a board member. Morrison said he also served on the Pacific Beach Parking Committee, formed by Discover Pacific Beach, which administers the Pacific Beach Business Improvement District. Morrison joins Patrick Finucane and Ian Trowbridge, two other candidates who have declared their intentions to win the District 2 seat.