Santa Clarita Considered Good Business

Santa Clarita has been named in the top five of the most business-friendly city in the region by the Los Angeles Economic Development Commission. The city was recognized for its having no business license fees; for developing a faster way of getting a city permit; for having no utility user fee; for creating a new designation for the state’s Enterprise Zone for 2007; for implementing a city-sheriff business alliance program; and for providing city-based businesses with a sheriff liaison. In addition, the city partnered with College of the Canyons to open the Small Business Development Center to provide free consulting services for starting up or growing a business. “The city is honored to receive the designation for a second year in a row,” said Mayor Marsha McLean. “We work diligently to make sure our city’s practices help businesses thrive, while providing our residents with a choice to work locally,” McLean said. The city is among the finalists to receive the EDDY Award, given by the commission to organizations and municipalities demonstrating exceptional contributions to positive economic development in the region. The EDDY Award will be presented on Nov. 6. Along with the business-friendly designation, Santa Clarita has had other economic-development successes this year. The city’s film office won a grand prize from the California Association for Local Economic Development for its innovative approach to film production. The city was also named as one of the top 25 city retail markets by the California Retail Survey.