Kansas City, Mo. ? Mayor Mark Funkhouser decided not to accept the free use of a car after controversy erupted over the deal last week, the mayor’s office said Tuesday.

Honda of Tiffany Springs offered the mayor free use of a Honda Civic hybrid car until the end of his term in office.

But ethics experts said the gift created a public perception problem and raised concerns that others would want to offer free goods and services.

Funkhouser said last week that he could not afford a new car and saw no problem with accepting the offer. The car wouldn’t cost the city anything, Funkhouser said, and Missouri law and city ordinances allow the mayor to accept the $23,195 car.

He said he decided to decline the offer because he simply “got tired of talking about it.”

Also Tuesday, the mayor’s office announced the city will pay $5,647.04 to cancel the remainder of the two-year lease of a Lincoln Town Car that has cost the city $700 a month.

Former Mayor Kay Barnes leased the car a day after Funkhouser won the mayoral race.