Bradley Gives Christmas Parade a Lift : Finances: The mayor vetoed an ordinance that would have billed organizers at least $80,000 for traffic control.

Christmas came early this year for the Hollywood Christmas Parade, which had been threatened with a Scrooge-like bill for at least $80,000 worth of traffic control.

Now, instead of scrambling to secure a corporate Santa, officials of the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce and TV station KTLA (Channel 5) will be able to put off until next year the thought of reimbursing the cash-poor city of Los Angeles for services that once were free.

They have Mayor Tom Bradley to thank for vetoing an ordinance that would have charged them for the time of the 350 officers it takes to control parade traffic. One City Council member said, however, that the mayor’s action had as much to do with the Los Angeles Dodgers as it did the annual Hollywood extravaganza.

The Dodgers, the Raiders, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, and other special and sports events all stand to benefit from the veto of an ordinance that would have raised about $1.5 million in city revenue.

“(Dodger executive) Tommy Hawkins was all over the building for weeks, and the next thing I knew, there was a veto,” said Councilman Zev Yaroslavsky, whose Budget and Finance Committee voted unanimously last week to override the action. It is scheduled to go back to the full City Council on Tuesday.

“We are simply at wits’ end,” Yaroslavsky said. “But we have to pay for fire, police and paramedics, which make up 60% of our controllable budget, and if we don’t pay this way we’ll have to raise the general taxes and reduce services. Either way, it’s not as palatable as asking the Hollywood chamber to pay for their own traffic control.”

Hawkins, vice president of communications for the Dodgers, declined to take credit for the action. “The mayor would have to tell you why he vetoed it,” he said.

But he noted that he is also a member of the board of directors of the L.A. Sports Council, a division of the Los Angeles Chamber of Commerce that is devoted to nurturing the economic impact of big-time sports on the city. Officials estimate that major sporting events inject nearly $100 million annually into the local economy.

“When this proposed fee was addressed, the sports and entertainment industry had to take a healthy look at what’s happening and make sure that the people who are voting are properly informed as to what the ramifications are,” Hawkins said.

“When you look at the sales tax, the property tax, the parking tax and you go on and on, where do these assessments end?”

He said sports and entertainment industry representatives were not aware of the impending legislation before it was passed by the City Council with only one dissenting vote, that of City Councilman Nate Holden. Bradley then became the focus of their protests.

Although the mayor signed the budget resolution that included the $1.5 million in traffic control fees, Bradley spokeswoman Vallee Bunting said the mayor vetoed the separate ordinance that would have put the fees into effect because of his concern about the overall state of the city’s economy. The veto message was dated Oct. 9.

“The mayor was afraid the fees would have put an undue burden . . . and scared away business and entertainment ventures for the city,” she said.

“If parade organizers were to pay these fees,” Bunting said, it could have “seriously jeopardized the continuation of this holiday tradition.”

Holden applauded the veto, and described the measure as “a nickel-and-dime, penny-wise-pound-foolish attempt to acquire additional revenues.”

With resources of previously sacrosanct departments such as the airport about to be made available to help out the city’s General Fund, “we can find $80,000 easily,” Holden said. “The chamber can support us if they can. And if they can’t, we should not cancel the parade.”

Johnny Grant, longtime executive producer of the parade, also praised Bradley for the veto. “(Bradley) has been a strong supporter of this parade as long as he’s been in office and he was very enthusiastic about it being on this year, in particular since he feels it’s one of the most positive things we have,” he said.

Grant is also a member of the board of directors of the Hollywood chamber, which relies on the yearly event for about a third of its yearly revenues of about $750,000.

“Let’s face it, the city is in some tough financial times,” said Leron Gubler, executive director of the chamber, which has suffered a decline of members in recent years.

“There’s got to be a balance between things that are positive for the community and balancing the city budget,” he said. “Anyway, we’re pleased that this year we’ll be able to move forward on it,” he said.

When grand marshals Roseanne and Tom Arnold step out at 6 p.m. Nov. 29, they will head a procession of more than 100 celebrities, 14 bands, 12 equestrian units, 18 floats and 60 classic convertibles, organizers said.

The parade will follow a 3.2-mile route beginning at the corner of Sunset Boulevard and Van Ness Avenue. It goes west to Highland Avenue, north to Hollywood Boulevard and east on Hollywood to Bronson Avenue. The best place to view it is said to be Sunset between Gower and Highland.

Televised live on Channel 5, the 61st Hollywood Christmas Parade will also be aired in 154 cities nationwide and seen in more than 80 countries overseas, bringing in revenues that have been controversial because of KTLA’s longtime hold on the broadcast rights.

David Woodcock, president of Disney-owned KCAL, said when KTLA’s contract was renewed last summer that he was considering a possible lawsuit to challenge the agreement.

“We felt the process was handled extremely badly, yet I’ve pretty much left things alone,” he said this week.