When Mayor Cassie Franklin took the stage at Angel of the Winds Arena on March 5, 2026, for her ninth annual State of the City address, she framed the year ahead around a single idea: “One Everett.” Seattle Seahawks tackle and Archbishop Murphy alumnus Abe Lucas opened the speech. What followed was a mix of economic confidence, candid acknowledgment of the budget pressure the city is navigating, and a concrete list of initiatives residents can expect to see on the ground in 2026.
Seven weeks later, several of those initiatives are already moving through City Hall — some toward the council for a vote, others into the permitting pipeline or grant applications. Here is a plain-language breakdown of the five priorities Mayor Franklin laid out, what has happened since, and what each one means for Everett residents.
Quick answer: Mayor Franklin’s 2026 State of the City address laid out five priorities: long-term sustainable revenue to protect core services, public safety investments in policing and fire response, housing actions including pre-approved backyard cottage plans, a park-upgrade wave at Edgewater, Garfield, and Eclipse Mill, and district-by-district community engagement. The Outdoor Event Center and FIFA World Cup watch parties at Boxcar Park were framed as anchor economic drivers for the year.
Priority 1: Long-Term Sustainable Revenue
The revenue priority is the one doing the most work behind the scenes. Franklin told the audience the city needs to “pursue continued economic growth and new pathways to long-term, sustainable revenue to protect core services.” That sentence sounds like standard political language, but it maps directly to the $14 million projected 2027 budget deficit the Finance Department has been discussing publicly since earlier this spring.
What it means in practice: the city is actively evaluating four levers — forming a regional fire authority, regionalizing library services through a partnership with Sno-Isle, running another levy lid lift past voters, and continuing the annexation evaluation for Mariner. Three of the four require a public vote. The Mayor’s Office has not endorsed a specific path yet; the April 8 council vote that approved $200,000 for a Mariner annexation study and $50,000 for a Casino Road subarea plan was the first real money the city has put behind any of these options.
For residents, this priority matters because it is the frame every other budget decision will sit inside for the next 18 months. Core services — police, fire, parks, libraries — are what the revenue conversation is designed to protect. How Everett decides to pay for them is the open question.
Priority 2: Strategic, Community-Focused Public Safety
Public safety had three sub-priorities in the address: strategic, community-focused policing, fire response capacity investments, and alternative crisis response programs. Each one is tied to staff the city has already hired or programs already running.
On policing, Chief Robert Goetz — sworn in on January 7, 2026 — has been public about his goal of closing the EPD vacancy gap. Goetz told reporters in January the department was “down to 14, maybe 13 vacancies at this point” and said he hopes to push that number into single digits in 2026. The department promoted eight officers to sergeant, lieutenant, captain, and deputy chief in the two weeks before he was sworn in. Goetz’s stated approach — “I want our officers to get out of the car and visit with our community members because they’re the ones who are providing us with the feedback that we need to be the best police department that we can be” — is what the Mayor’s “strategic, community-focused” language points to.
On fire response, the city is simultaneously evaluating whether to join a regional fire authority, which would restructure how fire service is funded and delivered. That decision is part of the revenue conversation above.
On alternative crisis response, the Mayor’s Office has pointed to existing programs pairing behavioral health responders with police, though the address did not announce a new program. The expansion language was more about protecting what already exists through the budget cycle.
Public safety also intersects with Mayoral Directive 2026-01, signed by Franklin on February 25, 2026. The directive restricts federal immigration agents from accessing non-public areas of city buildings without a judicial warrant, requires Everett police to record interactions at the scene of any immigration enforcement activity they are called to, and reaffirms compliance with the Keep Washington Working Act. The directive was not new policy announced at the State of the City; it is already in effect. But it establishes the guardrails the city will operate inside during 2026.
Priority 3: Housing — Backyard Cottages and a New Boys and Girls Club
The most concrete housing announcement was pre-approved backyard cottage plans designed to streamline the permitting process for accessory dwelling units. Pre-approved plans mean that homeowners who use one of the city’s templates can move through permitting faster than if they brought in custom drawings — reducing design costs and review time. The goal is to make ADUs a realistic option for more Everett households.
Franklin also announced a new Boys and Girls Club at Walter E. Hall Park in Council District 4. That project is a partnership rather than a city-led build, but the site selection and the framing matter: Walter E. Hall Park sits south of the airport in an area the city has identified for family-focused investment.
Neither the backyard cottage plans nor the Boys and Girls Club is solving housing affordability on their own. They are part of what the administration describes as a supply-side strategy — add more units, reduce friction in the permit process, add more third-place community infrastructure — while the broader Puget Sound housing market works itself out.
Priority 4: Park Upgrades at Edgewater, Garfield, and Eclipse Mill
Three parks are getting meaningful work in 2026.
Edgewater Park sits next to the Edgewater Bridge, which reopens April 28 after an 18-month closure and $34.9 million replacement. The park work is the natural companion to the bridge: new access, improved landings, and waterfront enhancements that make the reopened crossing feel connected to something on the west side.
Garfield Park in the Riverside neighborhood is getting a major makeover that has been in public-engagement phase with neighbors for months. Exact scope depends on the final design package, but residents have already weighed in on the direction.
Eclipse Mill Park on the riverfront is the long-timeline project. City staff confirmed earlier this spring that Eclipse Mill is now targeting a spring 2028 opening — later than initial hopes but reflecting both design complexity and funding sequencing. Eclipse Mill is designed to be Everett’s signature riverfront park when it eventually opens.
Parks are also a quiet revenue story: well-maintained, high-quality parks are one of the more reliable drivers of residential property values, which in turn affect the city’s assessed value and long-term property tax base.
Priority 5: District-by-District Community Engagement
The final priority was the least flashy but the most interesting from a civic-engagement standpoint. Franklin announced that community meetings would be scheduled in each City Council district, following the success of the District 2 town hall. For residents, that means the Mayor’s Office is committing to show up in neighborhoods rather than only hosting conversations at City Hall.
The significance is partly operational — getting seven districts worth of face-to-face feedback in one year is a real lift — and partly political. Three of the four budget levers on the table for 2027 require a public vote. An administration that has already sat down with voters in their neighborhoods has a better shot at explaining those ballot questions when they come up.
The Economic Anchors: Outdoor Event Center and FIFA 2026
Woven through the speech were two economic anchors. The Outdoor Event Center — the downtown stadium project that hosts Everett AquaSox baseball, United Soccer League men’s and women’s teams, and community events — is projected to draw 400,000 regional visitors annually once it opens in late 2027. Property acquisition is in negotiation, and a $10.6 million design funding request goes to council on April 29.
The FIFA World Cup watch parties at Boxcar Park on June 11, 12, 18, and 19 are the shorter-term bet: a free, public fan zone in the waterfront district designed to bring people into Everett during the biggest sporting event of the summer.
How to Track Progress on These Priorities
Every initiative Franklin announced has a paper trail. City Council agendas and minutes are posted at everettwa.gov/AgendaCenter/City-Council-10, and the council meets on Wednesdays at 6:30 p.m. except fourth and fifth Wednesdays, which meet at 12:30 p.m. Mayoral directives are archived at everettwa.gov/1789/Mayoral-Directives. Budget documents and the 2027 budget discussion will run through the Finance Department in the fall.
The shortest answer to “what is Everett working on in 2026?” is: revenue, public safety, housing, parks, and community engagement — with the stadium and World Cup as economic accelerators. The Mayor’s framing — “Everett’s progress is best measured by how people experience our city every day” — is the test the administration has set for itself.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was Mayor Franklin’s 2026 State of the City address?
Mayor Cassie Franklin delivered her ninth annual State of the City address on March 5, 2026. Seattle Seahawks tackle and Archbishop Murphy alumnus Abe Lucas opened the speech.
What are Mayor Franklin’s five priorities for 2026?
The address outlined five priorities: pursuing long-term sustainable revenue to protect core services, strategic and community-focused public safety, housing actions including pre-approved backyard cottage plans, park upgrades at Edgewater, Garfield, and Eclipse Mill, and district-by-district community engagement through town halls.
What is Everett doing about the $14 million 2027 budget gap?
Four levers are being evaluated: forming a regional fire authority, regionalizing library services with Sno-Isle Libraries, running another levy lid lift past voters, and continuing the annexation evaluation for Mariner. Three of the four require a public vote. The administration has not endorsed a single path.
How many police vacancies does EPD have?
Chief Robert Goetz said in January 2026 that the department was down to 13 or 14 vacancies and he hopes to push the number into single digits during 2026. Eight officers were promoted to supervisory roles in the two weeks before Goetz was sworn in on January 7, 2026.
What is Mayoral Directive 2026-01?
Signed by Mayor Franklin on February 25, 2026, the directive restricts federal immigration agents from accessing non-public areas of city buildings without a judicial warrant, requires Everett police to record interactions at the scene of immigration enforcement activity, and reaffirms compliance with Washington’s Keep Washington Working Act.
When do the Edgewater, Garfield, and Eclipse Mill park projects open?
The Edgewater Bridge adjacent to Edgewater Park reopens April 28, 2026. Garfield Park is in the design/public-engagement phase. Eclipse Mill Park is targeting a spring 2028 opening.
What are the FIFA World Cup watch parties at Boxcar Park?
Free, public fan zones hosted at Boxcar Park on the Everett waterfront on June 11, 12, 18, and 19, 2026, during the FIFA World Cup group stage and knockout matches.
How can I attend a City Council district town hall?
The Mayor’s Office will schedule community meetings in each City Council district throughout 2026. Details are posted to everettwa.gov and announced through the City’s news flash page at everettwa.gov/m/newsflash.
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