County's smaller cities called most business-friendly.

The city of Los Angeles is not only the county's behemoth, with a population multiple times larger than its biggest neighbors, but it likes to consider itself on the cutting edge of trends of all sorts.

But according to the Los Angeles County Economic Development Corp., the city could learn a thing or two from its smaller brethren about creating a welcoming atmosphere for businesses.

In its first-ever attempt at rating the cities in the county, the nonprofit development agency listed Burbank, El Segundo, Lancaster, Long Beach and Santa Clarita as the most business friendly.

The cities were rated on the basis of excellence in their economic development programs, the competitiveness of their business tax rates and fee structures and the availability of economic incentive.

In particular, Burbank was hailed for one of the lowest free structures in the county, as well as no gross receipts tax and a competitive utility user tax. El Segundo, with more Fortune 500 companies than any other city, was cited for its proximity to LAX and highly successful policies to recruit and retain businesses.

Lancaster, Long Beach and Santa Clarita were noted for, among other qualities, strong incentive programs, expedited permit processing and a pro-business attitude.

The economic development group plans to pick a single winner at an awards ceremony in October at the Century Plaza Hotel, but what the nonprofit really wants is to encourage all local cities to be more responsive to business in general.

"In the past 25 years, the county of Los Angeles has added more than 2.5 million residents, but only about half a million jobs," said Bill Allen, chief executive of the agency. "Many cities are more proactive than others about attracting and retaining quality jobs that pay good salaries and generate healthy tax revenues."

The agency didn't take any swipes at those cities that didn't make the cut, but there are plenty of obvious reasons that the city of Los Angeles was absent.

Among the recent actions taken by the City Council are efforts to force supermarkets that buy existing stores to retain workers for 90 days, encouraging downtown building owners to pay higher wages and health benefits to security guards and having Century Boulevard hotel owners pay a "living wage" to maids, clerks and other workers.