Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass has offered a temporary reduction in film production fees as she seeks to convince Hollywood voters that she should keep her job.
The city’s mayoral election will take place on June 2, with Bass standing for re-election and facing stiff competition from the likes of Councilwoman Nithya Raman and reality television star Spencer Pratt.
Both Raman and Pratt have claimed in recent days that Bass has not done enough to keep film production in Los Angeles.
As Variety reports, Bass has now announced a six-month pilot program that will reduce fees for “low-impact” productions.
She has also announced a 20 percent discount for productions parking at city lots for a year, which is in line with a deal that was recently agreed to keep the production of the new Baywatch reboot at Venice Beach.
In a statement, Bass said: “The bottom line is this, I will never let anyone take away our place as the entertainment capital of the world.”
Under the plan, a standard permit fee will be reduced from $931 to $350 for certain productions. A $285 fee for spot checks by the fire department will also be waived.
Last week, controversial podcaster Joe Rogan threw his support behind Bass’s rival Spencer Pratt.
While appearing on The Joe Rogan Experience podcast, Pratt spoke about his campaign and his decision to run for office, emphasizing the rising numbers of the unhoused population and the “underfunded and understaffed” fire department.
In response, the host — who endorsed Donald Trump in 2024 — declared his support for Pratt.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
Watch Apple TV+ free for 7 day
New subscribers only. £9.99/mo. after free trial. Plan auto-renews until cancelled.
Try for free
ADVERTISEMENT. If you sign up to this service we will earn commission. This revenue helps to fund journalism across The Independent.
“Listen, man, I’m voting for you,” Rogan told the reality star. The podcaster, who relocated from LA to Texas in 2020, clarified: “[Well] I can’t vote for you, but I’m rooting for you. I mean, if I lived in Los Angeles, no question whatsoever, I would vote for you.”
Pratt — who rose to fame in the early aughts on MTV’s reality show The Hills alongside his wife, Heidi Montag — has been openly critical of the city’s current leadership, blaming Bass for her response to the 2025 LA wildfires that destroyed thousands of homes, including his own and his parents’.
He first announced his campaign in January at a “They Let Us Burn” rally in the Palisades Village.
“Business as usual is a death sentence for Los Angeles, and I’m done waiting for someone to take real action. That’s why I am running for mayor,” he said.
