Marcus Allen

In a stunning announcement, City Hall sources revealed that Marcus Allen told Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa that he will not be accepting the City’s #1 Staff Position.  Despite having assurances that the votes for his confirmation were in place, the Mayor’s office did not do the job that needed to be done to rally support for the compensation package that Allen needed.  It was rumored that Allen required 290k to take what is arguably the toughest job in Los Angeles (with apologies to Police Chief Bill Bratton). This salary was comparable to what CAO’s in smaller cities throughout Southern CA earn and is on par with what County CEO (and former City CAO) Bill Fujioka commands.

L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is poised to announce Marcus Allen to become the city’s new CAO. Allen served as the Mayor’s Deputy Chief of Staff until last July when he left to join prominent lobbying/public affairs firm Berghoff/Englander & Associates. An African American former UCLA Track star with an MBA previously served in City Hall as Chief of Staff to Controller Laura Chick and also spent 10 years in the Chief Legislative Analyst’s Office. Respected by everyone, and feared by many, Allen brings a no-nonsense approach to running City government. He will be the first African American to hold this position and he is expected to shake up City Hall with his approach and his intellect.

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has named Marcus Allen as the new L.A. CAO: Getty Images Photo
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is expected to name Marcus Allen as the city’s new Chief Administrative Officer. Read the scoop by Wally S. Edge.