Garcetti sees progress on film tax credit negotiations
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti said Wednesday that Gov. Jerry Brown has agreed to support an expansion of California’s film tax credit, a high-profile effort to keep production jobs in the state.
It’s unclear, however, how large the expansion would be. Garcetti wants $420 million, which is equal to New York’s credit and more than four times the size of California’s current $100 million offering.
“We have to be competitive,” said Garcetti, who was flanked by other California mayors during a press conference in the Capitol.
He added, “There is no other economic development incentive program in the state of California that, for so few dollars, creates so many jobs, so quickly.”
Jim Evans, a spokesman for Brown, declined to comment on Wednesday’s meeting with Garcetti and other mayors. Legislation to expand the film tax credit is scheduled to be vetted in an appropriations committee Thursday.
San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee said he was recently on the set of “San Andreas,” a movie set in the City by the Bay but largely filmed elsewhere.
“The state of California is a beautiful place to film,” Lee said. “It’s just the cost factor.”
Follow @chrismegerian for more updates from Sacramento.
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