Tacoma Business Improvement Area

Administration

BIA Management

The Downtown Tacoma Business Improvement Area is a, a private, not-for-profit, 501(c)(4) corporation.

The activities of the BIA are managed by the BIA Board of Directors (also known as the Local Development Council of Tacoma). The eleven-member BIA Board is comprised of rate paying property owners or their representatives from the 84-block area wherein properties are assessed for the BIA.

The Board meets monthly to provide oversight to the three activity areas of the BIA: maintenance, security and community relations. Each activity area is directly overseen by a committee of Board members and BIA staff. The committees, Marketing, Security and Community Relations make recommendations to the Board, monitor activities, and coordinate with other entities (e.g. various City departments, other parties involved in security in the downtown, Safe Streets, etc.).

The Tacoma-Pierce County Chamber of Commerce is contracted by the City of Tacoma to manage the day-to-day activities of the BIA and provide administrative support to the Board. The Chamber contracts with Johnson, Stone and Pagano, Certified Public Accountants to annually audit the finances of the BIA.

Occasionally the BIA Board is asked to consider expanding the services of the BIA into other areas of downtown Tacoma. In response to these requests the Board has developed a list of criteria for expansion and has contracted with Johnson, Stone and Pagano CPAs to conduct an expansion analysis that will indicate the cost and benefits of expansion. The results of the analysis will be available in Fall 2009.

22nd Year BIA Budget & Work Plan
May 1, 2009 - April 30, 2010

The Tacoma City Council approves the assessment rates, budget and work plan proposed by the Downtown Tacoma Business Improvement Area Board of Directors (BIA Board) annually. For the 2009-2010 fiscal year, beginning May 1, 2009, the City Council will hear the first reading of the ordinance for approval on March 3rd, 2009. The second reading of the ordinance will occur on March 10th, 2009.

Proposed 2009-2010
Budget Summary

$ (approx.) % change

High Rate     0.1039     - 5%

Low Rate     0.0508     -5%

Income    778,900 -7.18%

Expenditures    842,300      0.3%

Use of Reserves      63,400     103%

Given the economic challenges facing both property owners and tenants, the BIA Board seeks to provide some financial relief to ratepayers. In January, following the ratepayer hearing, the BIA Board voted to reduce assessment rates by 5% for the 2009-2010 FY.

This action will decrease the rate paid by commercial and residential properties from 10.94 cents per square foot to 10.39 cents per square foot. The rate for vacant properties and parking lots will be reduced from 5.35 cents per square foot to 5.08 cents per square foot. In developing the budget the Board was cautious to keep expenses low while continuing to provide the high level of service that ratepayers, tenants and downtown users have come to expect.

In 2008 the Tacoma City Council approved residential properties to move from the low assessment rate to the high assessment rate. Due to a clerical error residents continued to be billed at the low rate in 2008-2009 despite the approved change. In 2009-2010 residential properties will be billed at the high rate as dictated by the 2008 Ordinance No. 27696.

Questions? Contact BIA Manager Chelsea Levy, (253) 627-2175 or chelsealevy@tacomachamber.org