Long Beach City Auditor Laura Doud announced the appointment today of James Johnson as the Assistant City Auditor.  Johnson joins the City Auditor’s office after serving as the Senior Policy Advisor to the Long Beach City Clerk Department.

“I am very proud to have James Johnson join our staff at the City Auditor’s Office,” commented Laura Doud.  “James is extremely knowledgeable on many of the key issues and challenges facing our City as well as the inner workings of City government.  James will hit the ground running, working side by side with me and my staff to help reduce fraud and waste in City government and to ensure that taxpayers’ dollars are used efficiently.”

In his capacity as the Senior Policy Advisor for the Long Beach City Clerk Department, Johnson worked on a variety of projects, such as the City Manager recruitment process and the effort to help commissions operate more effectively.  He also led numerous cost-saving initiatives that saved the City tens of thousands of dollars, such as revising outdated municipal elections requirements to reduce excessive printing charges, reformatting the City’s sample ballots to lower printing and mailing costs, and seeking more competition for work contracted out to vendors.  Johnson also advised the City’s Charter Amendment Committee in the first successful structural charter reform effort in over twenty years.  

Prior to working for the City, Johnson practiced law at an international law firm in Los Angeles, where he focused on complex and commercial litigation, including work in trade secret misappropriation, unfair business competition, and trademark infringement actions.  Before attending law school, James served in the policy division of the California Governor’s Office.  

Johnson is also President of the Long Beach Democratic Club.