January 22, 2025 The Best Source of News, Culture, Lifestyle for Culver City, Mar Vista, Del Rey, Palms and West Los Angeles

Los Angeles mayor Eric Garcetti hails deal that provides tax incentives for screen productions

 

m
Eric Garcetti hailed the governor’s announcement that a deal was struck on a bill that would provide up to $330 million to keep screen productions in California. (Thinkstock)

Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti was joined by film and television workers and other leaders Wednesday in hailing the governor’s announcement that a deal was struck on a bill to provide up to $330 million in tax incentives annually to keep big and small screen productions in California.

The agreement between Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders calls for extending the California Film and Television Tax Credit Program for five years, starting in fiscal year 2015-16, and increasing the tax incentives offered by the state from the current $100 million.

The deal also calls for abandoning the lottery process to pick the recipients. Instead, applicants will be judged based on the number of jobs they provide and their economic impact.

The bill now awaits a vote on the state Senate floor.

Garcetti said the agreement will help Los Angeles hang onto its standing as “the entertainment capital of the world.” He also declared it a “success for California’s middle class,” saying it will benefit the “heart and soul of the entertainment industry” such as “artisans, craftspeople and trades people who you never see on screen.”

Earlier this year, the mayor appointed a film czar to lobby for increased tax incentives.

Assemblymen Mike Gatto and Raul J. Bocanegra, D-Los Angeles, wanted to increase the incentives to $400 million to compete with tax credits offered by other states. New York’s program provides about $450 million annually in tax incentives for film and television projects.

Gatto said he is “pleased” with the agreed-upon language, which contains important features such as allowing blockbuster movies, as well as pilots and dramas, to become eligible for the incentives.

Those productions are usually the “biggest source of employment” in the film industry for the state, he said.

“We set out at the beginning of this year to create a program that will not only be bigger, but also smarter and more thoughtful,” Gatto said. “We have an agreement on a program that is just that.”

Gatto said he was not worried the incentives pot would still be smaller than New York’s, noting that California enjoys some “inherent advantages” that will attract productions regardless.

“We just need to be competitive again,” he said. “I personally don’t want to compete too directly on a financial basis with those states.”

If the bill wins passage on the Senate floor — with a vote scheduled for tomorrow — and clears a concurrence vote in Assembly, it will go to the governor’s desk for signing, he said.

Los Angeles City Councilman Paul Krekorian, who authored 2009 legislation that led to the original film tax incentive program, called it “a great day for California and our signature industry.”

He predicted that with an “influx of filming in our cities and counties,” Los Angeles and other communities in the Southern California area will need to redouble efforts to make it easier for productions to be filmed locally.

The deal also drew praise from a coalition of off-camera film and television workers.

“Gov. Brown and legislative leaders have delivered a production incentive program that makes California jobs priority number one,” said Thom Davis, business manager of IATSE Local 80, which represents film and TV technicians.

Ed Duffy of the Teamsters Local 399, a union representing drivers, location managers and casting directors, voiced support for the proposed legislation tying the incentives to job creation, calling it “a win for workers and California’s economy.”

Related Posts

(Video) A Plus Tree LLC: Leaders in Professional Tree Care for Homes and Businesses

January 22, 2025

January 22, 2025

The A Plus Tree team partners with and serves residential, apartment, HOA, commercial, and retail properties The A Plus Tree...

Deadlines Extended for Personal and Business Taxes for Wildfire-Affected Residents of LA County, City

January 21, 2025

January 21, 2025

Mayor Bass announces New Deadline, State and Federal Extensions Even Longer Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced that the deadline...

Free Bike Safety Workshop and Pizza Party Rolls Into Culver City on January 26

January 21, 2025

January 21, 2025

Learn Bike Safety Basics, Enjoy a Group Ride, and Celebrate With Pizza Culver City residents are invited to join Walk...

Palisades Fire Containment Reaches 63% as Repopulation Continues in Fire Zones

January 21, 2025

January 21, 2025

Select Areas Now Open to Residents Only as Evacuation Orders Are Eased The Palisades Fire has reached 23,713 acres with...

Widow of Fallen Culver City Police Department Officer Loses Home in Palisades Fire

January 20, 2025

January 20, 2025

Melody Massey, Who Lost Her Husband in the Line of Duty, Faces New Hardship The Culver City Police Department has...

Governor Newsom Expands Tenant Protections for Firestorm Survivors

January 20, 2025

January 20, 2025

Eviction Safeguards Offered for Tenants Sheltering Displaced Individuals Governor Gavin Newsom has issued an executive order extending eviction protections to...

Crypto ‘Godfather’ and LASD Deputy Admit to Civil Rights Abuses in Federal Case

January 20, 2025

January 20, 2025

The Duo Face Decades in Prison for Conspiracy, Extortion, and Tax Fraud A cryptocurrency entrepreneur and a Los Angeles County...

Two Arrested By LASD for Impersonating Firefighters in Palisades Fire Zone

January 20, 2025

January 20, 2025

Suspects Detained After Attempting to Access Evacuation Areas Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Major Crimes Bureau investigators announced the arrest of...

West Hollywood Art Collector Loses Iconic Warhol and Haring Pieces in Pacific Palisades Fire

January 19, 2025

January 19, 2025

Fire Destroys Over 200 Artworks Worth Millions, like Warhol’s ‘Myths’ and Haring’s ‘Totem’ West Hollywood art collector Ron Rivlin has...

Windblown Dust and Ash Advisory Issued for Los Angeles County Amid Strong Santa Ana Windstorm

January 19, 2025

January 19, 2025

Public Health Warns of Poor Air Quality, Health Risks as Winds Stir Pollutants From Burn Scars The Los Angeles County...

Red Flag Warning: Santa Ana Winds and Extreme Fire Danger Again Predicted This Week

January 19, 2025

January 19, 2025

Winds Up to 100 MPH Expected; Residents Urged to Prepare for Critical Fire Weather  The National Weather Service has issued...

LA Arts Community Fire Relief Fund Launches with $12M to Support Artists Impacted by Wildfires

January 17, 2025

January 17, 2025

Getty Trust, Philanthropists Unite to Aid Artists, Arts Workers, Devastated by Los Angeles Fires. A coalition of arts organizations and...

LADWP Refutes Fire Hydrant Misinformation During Palisades Fire’s Unprecedented Demand for Water

January 16, 2025

January 16, 2025

Utility Addresses Online Claims, Confirms Water Systems Remained Operational The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP)  is seeking...

Culver City Postpones Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration To Next Month

January 16, 2025

January 16, 2025

Event Will Honor Dr. King’s Legacy With Live Entertainment and Exhibits After a January postponement, the Dr. Martin Luther King...

Santa Monica Police Seek Inglewood-Based Suspect in Fatal Shooting

January 16, 2025

January 16, 2025

Fabian Mendez, Considered Armed and Dangerous, Remains at Large The Santa Monica Police Department has an update on the case...