Everett City Council to Vote on New Graffiti Fines

Graffiti cleanup by Bunker Arts Collective volunteers at a local store.

The Everett City Council will be voting next week on a new Illegal Graffiti on Public and Private Property Ordinance, which creates a civil infraction against a graffiti tagger for the unauthorized application of illegal graffiti.

Fences and sides of buildings are often targeted by taggers.

The City of Everett spends around $75,000 a year cleaning up graffiti, but the cost to the homes and businesses in the city are much higher.

Business owners, commercial building landlords, and homeowners are constantly fixing the graffiti themselves.

Community organizations, like the Bunker Arts Collective, also spend a lot of time and money painting over graffiti. If it isn’t taken care of quickly, it only encourages more tagging.

Commissioned or approved graffiti can add character to the city. This one is located on Everett & Rucker.

Commissioned or approved graffiti is a different story. The City of Everett and building owners have been very welcoming of this type of graffiti.

It’s the tagging that is the problem. Because tagging is usually self-serving, often to mark territory or simply to vandalize. Studies show that artistic graffiti murals are usually respected and left alone by taggers.

Graffiti cleanup is expensive, time-consuming, and usually doesn’t restore the original look.

This new ordinance will amend Chapter 10.62 of the Everett Municipal Code, permitting the city to impose a Civil Infraction in the Everett Municipal Court for a fine of $250 for illegal application of graffiti violations on public or private property.

It also permits restitution to the public or private party responsible for the property for the costs incurred to remove illegal graffiti.

The ordinance provides that if the property owner gave permission for the graffiti, the tagger would have a defense and wouldn’t be held legally responsible. This ordinance is in addition to other civil or criminal penalties available to the public or private property owner.

The reason behind the new ordinance is stated:

• Illegal graffiti on public and private property is a significant public nuisance.
• Proliferation of illegal graffiti across Everett causes substantial public blight.
• In 2024, illegal graffiti was reported at many City-owned properties, including traffic signs, traffic control stations, parking pay stations, libraries, parks, and public utility facilities.
• In 2024, the City spent approximately $73,987.77 on the abatement of illegal graffiti from public property, after spending approximately $76,518.86 in 2023.
• In 2024, there were a total of 65 reports of illegal graffiti provided to the City.
• Washington law has long recognized the authority of municipalities to abate public nuisances through civil actions.
• Establishing an appropriate civil cause of action in the Everett Municipal Code will allow the City Attorney to bring these civil actions in the Everett Municipal Court.
• The intent of authorizing these civil actions is to discourage future illegal graffiti and remunerate
  the City for the substantial costs of abatement.

In several of the stories this year, much of the graffiti was gang-related and led to arrests for illegal unlicensed guns and drugs. Here’s a few examples just from June, 2025:

• June 19th: Everett Gang-related Graffiti Vandalism Investigations Result in Multiple Arrests
• June 17th: Gang Members With Illegal Guns Caught By Snohomish County Sheriff in Everett
• June 3rd: Two Kids Painting Graffiti Shot Monday Night in South Everett