UPDATE | 4 mayoral contenders at Chamber forum

YOUNGSTOWN — The four Youngstown mayoral candidates today discussed ways to improve the city's business climate at a Youngstown-Warren Regional Chamber forum.

The candidates said growing and retaining businesses are critical to the future of the city.

Running for mayor are Democrat Jamael Tito Brown and three independents: Janet Tarpley, Sean McKinney and Cecil Monroe.

Brown, a former city councilman and council president, said he wants to put together an economic advisory committee of business leaders to help attract companies to the city.

McKinney, a former city buildings and grounds commissioner, said his administration would build an aggressive economic development team that promotes the city's assets.

Tarpley, a former councilwoman, said she would aggressively market Youngstown, and conduct an economic development plan that would analyze the city to determine what kind of businesses are good fits for the city.

Munroe, a Youngstown school substitute teacher and preacher, said he'd take the "out of business" sign off of city hall and make Youngstown more pro-business.

The four are running in the Nov. 7 election to replace John A. McNally, a first-term mayor who lost the Democratic primary in May to Brown.