Long Beach : Assistant Manager Named

The City Council on Tuesday confirmed without comment City Manager James C. Hankla’s appointment of John F. Shirey as assistant city manager, effective April 13.

Shirey, 37, a Long Beach resident and former city employee, was Hankla’s top aide at Los Angeles County until March 1, when Hankla resigned as chief administrative officer to take the top job in Long Beach.

Shirey, who lives in California Heights with his wife and two children, will be second in command and oversee much of the day-to-day operations at City Hall. His city salary (he earned $78,330 annually at the county) has not been disclosed.

Hankla headed redevelopment during Shirey’s first stint with the city from 1975 to 1979, when he was a legislative analyst and director of intergovernmental relations. Shirey left to work for the National League of Cities, then took an administrative post at the county and has been Hankla’s deputy for the last two years.

Shirey will be the third member of the city’s new management team to come from the county, joining Hankla and Deputy City Manager John H. Williams, 51, who started Feb. 18. Williams left his $60,168-a-year chief of administrative services post to take the $70,000 deputy’s job.