In the first formal visit by the city's top elected for eight years, Mayor Marilyn Strickland told directors of Tacoma Pierce County Chamber this morning that she wants their help to study the local Business & Occupation tax.

"We don't have a reputation as a good place to do business," said Strickland, "and it's time for us to sit down and look at how we can change that."

She also stressed the importance of improving the perception of Tacoma's public school system because that tends to send homebuyers to surrounding communities, instead of locating within the city limits.

B&O tax collections contribute $80 million to the city's budget annually, about 20 percent of the whole, which includes utilities tax, retail sales tax and property tax.

"If the B&O tax is killing your business, you probably need a better business plan," Strickland said. "But is it really about the overall business tax impacts" that we need a discussion?

Citing her own career experience in businesses with Starbucks at the corporate level, with Tacoma's JayRay advertising and public relations firm and in a Portland dot.com firm, the mayor – in her fourth week in office – asked for business participation in "an honest conversation" about ways to support needed city services.

Chamber of commerce leaders seemed warm to Strickland's request for dialogue.