Alarcon Deputy Quits 2 Months After Transfer

A deputy to San Fernando Valley Councilman Richard Alarcon has quit only two months after he was reassigned amid allegations that he verbally abused constituents.

But in an interview, Leo Briones, who left his post Friday, said he did not quit because of his transfer from community liaison to manager of the office’s mail operations. Instead, he said, it was because he was offered a more appealing job.

Briones, who served as Alarcon’s press secretary during the councilman’s June campaign, said he has taken a job as vice president of Howell Communications Group, a public relations firm in Woodland Hills.

He said his departure from Alarcon’s office was amicable and he is likely to work with Alarcon again. “Richard and I are good friends,” he said. “Professionally, I have the highest regard for Richard.”

Alarcon conceded that Briones probably had not been happy with his new duties overseeing the constituent mail operations, but agreed that there are no hard feelings. “Leo’s my friend,” Alarcon said.

Briones was transferred in January after allegations that he yelled and used profanity with constituents. Although Alarcon said at the time that Briones had not been demoted, he conceded that Briones “rubbed some people the wrong way.”

Alarcon said that after his election, Briones originally had sought the job of press relations officer, but that duty was passed on to another aide, Sybil MacDonald. Because of that, Alarcon said he was not surprised that Briones had taken the public relations job.

MacDonald said a replacement for Briones had not yet been chosen.

In January, Alarcon launched the biggest staff shake-up in his young tenure when he hired Mayor Richard Riordan’s press secretary, Annette Castro, to be his chief City Hall adviser and head of his media operations.

His previous chief of staff in City Hall, Lupe Vela, was assigned to head up Alarcon’s field operations.