Johnson County Auditor

Julie Persons

Julie is originally from Davenport, IA and graduated from Bettendorf High School.  Graduating in 2004 from the University of Iowa with a dual degree in Religious Studies and Dance, she stayed in the county.  Before becoming auditor, she worked for Transamerica in Cedar Rapids for 10.5 years and retail management before that.  An unusual turn of events led her to become Swisher’s first female mayor in January 2024.  Since the town has a little over 900 people, resources and experience could be hard to come by.  Julie quickly learned that other mayors and county officials were always willing to share their knowledge.  This led to her developing a good network across the county that has already benefited her auditor work.

In July 2024, the county auditor unexpectedly stepped down from the position.  Being an auditor wasn’t something Julie ever expected to do so when the Sheriff showed up at a community event telling her to run, she said no.  It took him, and a few other county officials, only two days to talk her into running and she’s very glad it happened. 

Outside of work she is huge fan of live music having seen over 240 different artists (as of the end of 2024).  She also serves as an advisor to the Alpha Xi Delta sorority at Iowa and sits on the Parks and Recreation Board for the city of Swisher.