Allen turns down job

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa's pick to oversee Los Angeles' finances turned down the job offer Wednesday and said he would continue working in the private sector. Kerry Cavanaugh in the Daily News.

A former chief deputy to the mayor, Marcus Allen was nominated for the city administrative officer position in March.

But his selection raised concern among some council members because of his lobbyist connections and request for a $290,000 salary, which was about $70,000 more than the current CAO Karen Sisson makes.

"Having considered this opportunity for several weeks now, I have decided to respectfully remove my name from consideration for this important position," Allen wrote in a letter to the mayor.