The Los Angeles City Council voted unanimously Friday to approve a proposal intended to expand tax relief measures for residents and businesses impacted by the wildfires.
The City Council directed the City Attorney’s Office and Office of Finance to immediately draft an ordinance to waive 2025 taxes for businesses destroyed or impacted for 60 or more consecutive days due to the wildfires. Additionally, housekeepers, gardeners and child care providers will benefit from the relief if they’ve experienced significant income loss.
Eligibility for assistance will be determined by the Office of Finance on a case-by-base basis.
Councilwoman Traci Park, who represents Pacific Palisades, introduced the motion under an emergency clause during Friday’s council meeting.
“This relief cannot wait,” Park said in a statement. `Friday’s unanimous vote sends a clear message: we stand with every small business owner and sole proprietor affected by this tragedy.”
“Whether you’re the owner of a café, a clothing store, a gardener, or a childcare provider, we see you, and we are committed to helping you rebuild,” she added.
Once written, the ordinance is expected to be sent to Mayor Karen Bass’ for approval, according to Park’s office.
Earlier in the day, Bass issued an emergency order to expedite the drafting of the ordinance.
She also sought relief for residents displaced by the fires by examining the hotel tax, officially known as the transient occupancy tax. The Office of Finance could provide relief from the hotel tax for residents who stayed in hotels starting Jan. 7 and up to April 6 as a result of their homes being damaged or destroyed by the fires.
“My directive to City Hall is clear — we are going to do everything we can to rebuild our communities, and that certainly includes not taxing business owners who are already going through so much,” Bass said in a statement.
Once approved, the City Council has directed the Office of Finance to notify businesses about the tax relief effort.
Vanessa Pellegrino, co-owner of Vittorio’s, a 40-year old family-owned Italian restaurant in Pacific Palisades that was destroyed, called the city’s action a “first step to us rebuilding.”
“There is more to be done, but I am hopeful that this is the beginning to the long road to recovery,” Pellegrino said in a statement.