Long Beach City Auditors

• 1908 – 1912 Ira S. Hatch
• 1912 – 1913 Lewis W. Shuman (resigned in 1913)
• 1913 D. M. Rankin (Acting City Auditor)
• 1914 – 1915 Harvey Durkee
• 1915 – 1919 Charles O. Boynton
• 1919 – 1951 Myrtelle L. Gunsul
• 1951 – 1961 John Mansell
• 1961 – 1976 Murray T. Courson
• 1976 – 1992 Robert E. Fronke
• 1992 – 2006 Gary Burroughs
• 2006 - Laura L. Doud

Early History- 1896 - 1919

The City of Long Beach was first incorporated in 1888, disincorporated on July 24, 1896 and incorporated for a second time effective December 13, 1897. By 1898, it had become the fastest growing city in the United States. In 1907 a new City Charter was written, which created the position of City Auditor to be elected "by the qualified electors of the city." The early City leaders understood that the "watchdog" of City money must be independent so they established the City Auditor as an elected position instead of appointed. To this day, the City Auditor still reports directly to the people of Long Beach, rather than to a City Council or City Manager.

In 1908 the first City Auditor, Ira S. Hatch assumed office. The term of office was two years and the annual salary for this position was set at $1,000. He served in that position for two terms until 1912. He then ran for Mayor and was elected, and later he represented Long Beach in the California Assembly. Read about Ira Hatch.

Lewis W. Shuman was elected City Auditor in 1912 and resigned soon after in 1913. His Chief Deputy City Auditor, D. M. Rankin, was appointed City Auditor then ran in the election of 1913 but lost to Harvey Durkee. Two years later, former City Auditor Lewis Shuman ran again for the office of Auditor but lost to Charles O. Boynton.

Charles O. Boynton had been an elected City Clerk and ex-officio assessor before his election to City Auditor in 1915. That year he hired Myrtelle L. Gunsul to be Chief Deputy City Auditor -- she was later to succeed him after his retirement.

Our 5th City Auditor and Long Beach's first woman elected to office

Re-elected ten times, Myrtelle L. Gunsul served for 32 years

"Efficiency. Not Politics." Myrtell L. Gunsul

Myrtelle L. Gunsul was elected City Auditor in 1919, after serving 4 years as Chief Deputy City Auditor. She was re-elected ten times and retired in 1951 after serving 32 years as City Auditor. Miss Gunsul (as she was called then) holds the distinction of being the longest serving elected official in Long Beach.

She was City Auditor during times of tremendous growth and change. During her tenure:

• Long Beach grew from a population of 61,000 in 1919 to over 250,000 in 1951.
• oil was discovered on Signal Hill;
• Women in the U.S. won the right to vote
• the Great Depression began and ended;
• the 1933 earthquake destroyed much of Long Beach, and the City was re-built;
• World War II began and ended;
• The Naval base was built,
• Cal State Long Beach and Long Beach City College were founded.

Learn more about Myrtelle L. Gunsul and visit the The Myrtelle L. Gunsul Conference Room exhibit

1951 - 1976

Upon her retirement, Myrtelle L. Gunsul highly recommended that her Chief Deputy, Freeman I. Castle, be appointed to serve out her term. Instead, the City Council voted to appoint a city division manager, John R. Mansell.

Mansell was drafted by the City Council partially because they wanted an Auditor who would not seek election for the seat in the upcoming primary. However, John Mansell did run for the office and won --- this time with Gunsul's endorsement. He served 10 years as City Auditor, and was then appointed City Manager of Long Beach, a position he held for the next 15 years. Learn about John Mansell.

Murray T. Courson served as City Auditor from 1961 until 1976. When Murray Courson retired mid-term, the City Council conducted a search for a new Auditor and appointed Robert Fronke from a field of 6 candidates in June 1976. Learn about Robert Fronke.

Robert Fronke is the only City Auditor to be appointed from outside of Long Beach City government, and he served as the 8th elected City Auditor for 16 years, from 1976 – 1992. Fronke was a strong defender of the independence of the office of the Auditor. In 1979 a Charter Revision Advisory Committee recommended a change in City charter language to limit the City Auditor to financial audits and to prohibit operational audits unless specifically requested by the City Council. The City Council unanimously voted against such a change in the charter finding that having such audits conducted by an independent auditor was in the public interest.

Mr. Fronke resigned in October of 1992 to take a full time position on the faculty of Pepperdine University School of Business and Management. He continues to be a valuable resource to Long Beach through his many community activities.

1992 – 2006

Upon Fronke's recommendation to the City Council, Assistant City Auditor Gary Burroughs was appointed to serve out the two years remaining on Fronke's four-year term. Burroughs had been Fronke's Assistant City Auditor since 1986. Burroughs was elected in 1994 and served as City Auditor for the following twelve years for a total of fourteen years as City Auditor.

Laura Doud began her term of office in July 2006 becoming the 10th elected City Auditor. Learn about Laura Doud.

Celebrating 100 years

In 2008, the Office of the Long Beach City Auditor celebrated its Centennial year.

Recognizing the importance of knowing where the office has been in charting a course for the future, Laura Doud is compiling historical information about the City Auditor's Office. Anyone having information about the history of the City Auditor's Office is encouraged to contact the City Auditor's Office at (562) 570-6434.