Graffiti cleanup is expensive, time-consuming, and usually doesn’t restore the original look.
The Everett City Council voted unanimously to approve the 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.
Background on the Ordinance:
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. The Downtown Everett Association shared that they have removed 2,000 graffiti tags this year alone. They’ve also been keeping a picture database of all the tags in case it will help the city track down offenders.
Graffiti cleanup by Bunker Arts Collective volunteers at a local store.
Community organizations, like the Bunker Arts Collective, also spend a lot of time and money painting over graffiti. Evan, from BAC, shared:
“Our organization stands with small businesses, community groups, and schools–helping them restore their spaces quickly so they can focus on serving the community without added stress.
Murals and graffiti art can be a strong deterrent to tagging, but they only work if everyone pitches in. Too often, out-of-state property owners-and the city-let blight, overgrowth, and tagging site for months on their properties. City staff do excellent work with limited resources, but they need more support to tackle blight in medians, intersections, sidewalks, right-of-ways, and parks.”
“While there were only 65 official reports of vandalism last year, our team has seen hundreds of instances of vandalism, illegal dumping, and blight during clean-ups. “
More reasons for this ordinance, with specific numbers, can be found in our last piece about the Graffiti Ordinance.
What the new ordinance entails:
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. Parents of 16 and 17-year olds who commit the crimes will also be liable for any restitution. A judge can convert some of the monetary penalty to community service towards graffiti abatement.
Commissioned or approved graffiti can add character to the city. This one is located on Everett & Rucker.
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. Commissioned or approved graffiti has been very welcomed in Everett.
This ordinance is in addition to other civil or criminal penalties available to the public or private property owner.
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
August 21, 2025
Everett Government, Artwork in Everett, Police Blotter