This morning, the City Council will vote on a package of incentives to keep filming in Los Angeles. The incentives are part of a report that I requested after Ugly Betty moved its production from our city to New York.
The incentives include assistance with identifying parking and with reducing parking costs, the installation of utility nodes in frequently used locations to eliminate the need for on-site generators, and taking action to implement a business tax break for productions.
The report also included an analysis by the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation (LAEDC) that quantified what we've always known to be true -- runaway production means fewer jobs for Angelenos and hurts our economy. LAEDC's study concluded a one-hour television program generates more than 180 direct jobs and supports 540 indirect jobs as well as generates $2.2 million in state income taxes and $880,000 in state sales taxes.
The entertainment industry is a key economic driver for Los Angeles, and we need to do what we can to keep production where it belongs – in the entertainment capital of the world.
You can read a full copy of the report here.
UPDATE: The City Council unanimously adopted the incentives today.