EVERETT, MARCH 31: Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin gave her eighth State of the City address last Thursday, focusing on overall city achievements, and introducing a new initiative to combat youth violence.
“My vision for our city is bold, ambitious, and clear: we are building the best city in America to run a business, raise a family, pursue an education, build a career and enjoy a high quality of life,” Franklin said during her speech.
Franklin laid out a few key priorities for 2025, continuing to focus on public safety, community development, and the mental health and drug crisis.
You can watch the full speech here.
City Budget
Franklin first touched on the city’s budget, which the city had to find $12.6 million within the general fund for 2025. A total of 55 general fund positions were impacted in order to balance the city budget.
All government positions were impacted by the cuts, most notably the Everett Public Libraries and the Park Ranger Program.
Everett, and other Washington cities, have been dealing with a deficit every year since 2001, when an initiative limiting municipalities to an increase of property tax levies by only 1% annually was passed.
In August the city proposed Proposition 1, which would have increased Everett’s property rate to help address the city’s deficit and to fund public services. Ultimately, voters rejected the proposal with roughly 60% against it.
“As we develop our 2026 budget, we will continue on this path, providing the most effective and efficient local government by right sizing our services to meet the resources available and protecting the most essential services for our community,” Franklin said.
Public Safety
The city of Everett and neighboring cities are facing a mental health and drug crisis. Opioids, and mainly fentanyl, have created an epidemic in America. In 2023, 138 Snohomish County residents overdosed on opioids.
For the upcoming year Franklin plans on prioritizing public safety and addressing these issues through collaborative and compassionate solutions, she said.
Technological advancements within the police and fire departments are one way that the city is working to take a different approach to crime.
In 2024 Everett Police implemented a Flock Safety Camera system, which is used to help reduce crime by alerting police of wanted vehicles and more. According to Franklins’ presentation, there have been more than 70 arrests thanks to Flock’s license plate reader.
The city will soon be launching a Drone-as-a-First Responder pilot program, which will deploy drones ahead of an incident. Everett is one of the first jurisdictions in the state to implement this technology, which hopes to make response time quicker and increase efficiency.
Franklin announced a new mayoral directive during the keynote speech, renewing the city’s commitment to youth safety. Last year and early this year, the city has seen incidents of youth violence, with residents expressing safety concerns.
Mayoral directives are used to communicate priorities to all city departments, ensuring everyone is working towards a specific goal.
“This directive is about protecting Everett’s young people – both from being victimized and from engaging in violence themselves,” Franklin said.
The directive includes four initiatives from prevention, partnerships, community engagement, and innovation.
A few changes include strengthening School Resource Officer (SRO) programs and creating a youth safety roundtable to discuss solutions.
Economic Growth
Last year the city began the process of facilitating the Outdoor Multipurpose Project, which could be the new home of the Everett AquaSox, as well as possibly host United Soccer League matches.
The selected location downtown, across from the Angel of the Winds Arena, is estimated to bring in close to $5 million per season according to preliminary estimates.
Early this year it was announced that Everett would be one of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Fan Zones. The city is one of nine locations across Washington that will host a fan zone.
Everett issued permits for nearly 600 housing units in 2024, a 340% increase from 2023, according to Franklin.
The city solidified plans for the former Waits Motel property on Lombard and will be redeveloped, creating homeownership opportunities.
The Everett Mall is still under construction while it transforms into “The Hub”. Topgolf was officially named as a major tenant occupying a space in the new facility after rumors began circulating early last year.
Community
In 2024 the city completed two major park renovations, including replacing the playgrounds at Wiggums Hollow Park and Phil Johnson Ballfields. This year the city will be moving forward with its plans for Clark Park, and adding pickleball courts to Forest Park.
The public is invited to attend a free community edition of the ‘State of the City’ address 6-7:30 p.m. Monday, March 31 at the Weyerhaeuser Room at the Everett Station, 3201 Smith Ave. Everett. Due to limited capacity, pre-registration is required.
