LA Officials Skeptical 2028 Olympics Will Benefit Local Businesses

City Council members criticize LA28 organizing committee for lack of specific plans to prioritize LA-based companies.

Apr. 18, 2026 at 1:48am

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A photorealistic studio still life featuring a stack of business contracts, a calculator, and a gavel on a clean white background, conceptually representing the abstract corporate strategy and financial negotiations around the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.As LA officials push for more local business involvement in the 2028 Olympics, the complex financial and contractual negotiations remain a source of tension.Los Angeles Today

Ahead of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, city officials have expressed concerns that the LA28 organizing committee has not provided enough details on how it plans to direct business opportunities to local companies. Councilmembers argued the committee's procurement plan lacks guarantees to prioritize LA-based firms over regional businesses, and that the committee has made "unfulfilled promises" about supporting the local economy.

Why it matters

The 2028 Olympics are expected to bring billions in economic activity to Southern California, but city leaders want assurances that local businesses, especially small firms, will be the primary beneficiaries rather than companies from outside the region.

The details

The LA28 organizing committee said its goal is to direct 75% of Olympic spending to local businesses and 25% to small businesses. However, city council members argued the committee's procurement plan lacks specifics and guarantees to prioritize LA-based companies. Councilmember Monica Rodriguez said the plan "doesn't feel like much of a partnership" with the city, while Council President Marqueece Harris-Dawson questioned how LA businesses can compete with firms from other parts of the region.

  • The LA28 committee heard criticism from the LA City Council on April 18, 2026.
  • The committee was supposed to sign a services agreement with the city in October, but had not done so as of April 18.

The players

Monica Rodriguez

A member of the LA City Council who criticized the LA28 committee for making "unfulfilled promises" about prioritizing local businesses.

Marqueece Harris-Dawson

The president of the LA City Council who questioned how LA businesses can compete with firms from other parts of the region for Olympic contracts.

Reynold Hoover

The CEO of the LA28 organizing committee, who said the games will prioritize LA businesses as long as their bids are financially responsible.

Greg Plummer

The owner of Concord Collective, a small business that feels confident it can navigate the Olympic procurement process.

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What they’re saying

“This is a whole new Olympiad in trying to end-run our own procedures in the city of LA. (It) doesn't feel like much of a partnership, and it's disappointing.”

— Monica Rodriguez, Councilmember

“I can't imagine if I'm a business owner, and I'm competing to do business with someone in Barstow or in Yucaipa.”

— Marqueece Harris-Dawson, City Council President

“I would say kudos to because they have made a very concerted intentional effort about outreach to the small business community. However, a lot of companies can be intimidated by the process, and that was one of the things that we expressed as a concern.”

— Greg Plummer, Owner, Concord Collective

“I have to deliver these games in a fiscally responsible way, and if every single bidder in the city of LA charges premium Olympic prices, then we will go into the backstop.”

— Reynold Hoover, CEO, LA28

What’s next

The LA City Council is waiting for a response from the LA28 organizing committee on the outstanding issues around the services agreement and specific plans to prioritize local businesses.

The takeaway

The tensions between the city and the LA28 organizing committee highlight the challenges of ensuring that the economic benefits of hosting the Olympics are equitably distributed to local businesses, especially smaller firms that may struggle to navigate the procurement process. City leaders want concrete assurances that the games will not just benefit regional companies, but will meaningfully support the local economy.