National City officials began a key round of talks with county officials yesterday by detailing the help they are seeking as the city pursues building a Chargers stadium near its bayfront.

National City Mayor Ron Morrison and City Manager Chris Zapata and their consultants met for an hour with county Supervisors Ron Roberts and Dianne Jacob. Afterward, the supervisors declined to comment on National City's requests, which include:

• The county agreeing by April 15 to provide $100,000 to study the proposed site to determine development costs and needed improvements.
• The county providing land it owns for the Chargers to build a commercial development to help pay for the stadium, or the county acquiring the Qualcomm Stadium site from the city of San Diego for the development.
• Sharing with the city the financial and legal consultants the county has retained for stadium development.
• Supporting the city's efforts to obtain infrastructure funding from the San Diego Association of Governments, or the state and federal governments.

Morrison said after the meeting that he intends to ask the city of San Diego, San Diego State University and the Chargers for financial assistance for the study. SDSU is being asked because its football team plays at Qualcomm.

The Chargers are paying $200,000 for a consultant to analyze potential sites in Chula Vista, and Zapata said National City would like the team to provide similar assistance.

The Chargers estimate a new stadium could cost $750 million to $1 billion.

"No one is asking for handouts," Morrison said. "What we're asking is how can you be a part of this, and at the same time how can you get benefit from it."

If a study is conducted, Morrison said he wants to know by September whether the site is workable. If not, he and other city officials will begin planning alternative uses.

"Our timetable is very short," he said. "This isn't going to be like the airport. We're not going to drag this thing out."

The city of 65,000 is proposing a site west of Interstate 5 and south of Bay Marina Drive. As many as 67 acres could be used for a stadium, National City officials say.

More than two-thirds of the property is owned by the San Diego Unified Port District, with the remainder owned by BNSF Railway. Both would have to approve the project.

Morrison sent letters last month to the county, the city of San Diego and San Diego State, asking to meet to discuss financial and other assistance to National City.

Chula Vista and Oceanside, cities with more than 200,000 residents, are vying for a Chargers stadium as well.

National City officials say a stadium can't be built in the city without assistance from other local governments and San Diego State.

Last year, National City voters passed a 1 percent sales tax increase to make up for a budget shortfall. An initiative to repeal the increase has qualified for the November 2008 ballot, throwing the city's future financial stability into question.

Morrison said he eventually wants to convene a meeting with the county, city of San Diego, San Diego State and the Chargers to gain a regional commitment to the city's proposed site.

On a separate front involving the stadium yesterday, Chargers attorney Mark Fabiani told a breakfast meeting of about 150 Chula Vista government and civic leaders that the team is committed to exploring a stadium option in that city that would be part of a year-round village or entertainment complex.

He said a city's contribution of land, zoning allowances or other concessions would not be a giveaway because the commercial development would generate tax revenue for the city, he said.

"If we can't bring value, then why work with us?" Fabiani told the group attending the First Friday Breakfast.