Riverside picks LA housing attorney James Johnson as city attorney at $372,624, waives 12-day notice rule to do it

The Raincross Gazette: The council voted 5-2 to hire James Johnson, with Phillip Falcone and Chuck Conder dissenting. Johnson comes from the Housing Authority of the City of Los Angeles, where he served as general counsel over real estate, Section 8, public housing and litigation. His earlier work includes deputy county counsel for LA County's Housing for Health program and a 2010-2014 stint on the Long Beach City Council.

Johnson earns $372,624 a year on a three-year contract and starts July 17. Falcone said he liked the candidate but couldn't back the contract, citing a 12-month severance provision as his line in the sand.

Ahead of the hire, the council voted to waive the Sunshine Ordinance, which would have required the item to sit on a regular agenda posted 12 days out rather than ride as an add-on. Council member Steven Robillard said the waiver was needed because the city attorney is a charter officer and the city is entering its 2026-27 fiscal year. Residents pushed back, arguing a long-running vacancy created by the council's own delays didn't amount to the kind of emergency that justifies cutting public notice.

The seat opened when the council fired Phaedra Norton without cause in April 2025.