Tag: Everett Government

  • Everett Critical Areas Update: 2026 Property Owner Guide

    Everett Critical Areas Update: 2026 Property Owner Guide

    Featured Snippet

    **What does Everett’s 2026 Critical Areas Regulations update mean for property owners and builders?**

    If your parcel touches a wetland, stream, frequently flooded area, geologically hazardous slope/bluff, or critical aquifer recharge area, the February 13, 2026 second review draft of Chapter 19.37 changes the buffer width, mitigation sequence, and technical-study requirements you have to meet before disturbing the feature. Wetland buffer tables 37.2 and 37.3 are updated; some categories carry wider buffers than the 2007 rules. Stream classifications are revised. Geotechnical and habitat study expectations are tightened. The City Council held a public hearing on April 15, 2026 and is targeting a vote in the coming weeks.

    If you own a lot, an in-fill site, or a development parcel in Everett that touches any of the city’s critical areas, the regulations updating right now will determine what you can build, where you can put it, and how much site work it will take to get there.

    This is the property owner and builder read of Chapter 19.37’s 2026 update — the practical consequences, before the council vote.

    Step One — Find Out If Your Parcel Has a Critical Area Overlay

    Before you read the ordinance text, check your specific parcel against the city’s GIS overlays. The five categories the rules cover:

    • Wetlands — Howarth, Pigeon Creek, Forest Park edges, low-lying parcels in many corridors
    • Streams — named (Pigeon Creek, Snohomish River edge) and unnamed reaches throughout the city
    • Frequently flooded areas — the regulatory floodplain, including parts of the Snohomish River corridor
    • Geologically hazardous areas — bluff faces, landslide-prone slopes, erosion zones, seismic hazard areas
    • Critical aquifer recharge areas — zones over drinking-water aquifers

    Many parcels carry more than one overlay. A lot above the Snohomish River may sit inside a frequently flooded area at the base, a wetland in the riparian zone, and a geologic hazard area on the bluff. Each overlay applies independently. Where they conflict, the more restrictive rule prevails.

    What Changes in the Wetland Tables

    Tables 37.2 and 37.3 — the wetland buffer width tables — are updated in the February 13, 2026 draft to reflect Best Available Science. The practical translation:

    • Buffer widths shift by wetland category. A Category I wetland (highest functional value) carries a different buffer than a Category IV. The draft recalibrates several of those category-buffer pairings.
    • Some buffers widen. For affected parcels, the developable area inside the parcel boundary shrinks proportionally.
    • Mitigation may now be required where it wasn’t. A site that previously qualified for a buffer reduction or averaging may face a different review under the updated standards.

    Owners with parcels containing a wetland edge should expect the buildable footprint analysis from a 2018 site plan to be different than what the new code produces. The size of the difference depends on the wetland category, the rating, and the parcel geometry.

    What Changes for Streams

    The draft revises stream classifications and the corresponding buffer widths. For owners whose parcels front, back, or contain a stream:

    • Stream classifications can shift. Reclassification under the new draft can move a parcel from one buffer regime to another.
    • Buffer widths recalibrate. The directional change varies by stream type.
    • Wildlife habitat overlays may expand on some corridors. The Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas designation pulls in additional protections.

    The planning commission’s February 17, 2026 hearing recorded that stream provisions were among the most-discussed elements of the draft. Owners with stream-adjacent parcels should check the specific stream’s classification under the new draft against the old code.

    What Changes for Geologic Hazard Parcels

    Buffer and setback rules for landslide-prone slopes and bluff edges are recalibrated. The Everett bluff is the most visible example, but the city has many smaller landslide-classified slopes inland.

    For owners building on or near a slope:

    • Geotechnical study expectations are updated — qualifications, scope, content
    • Setback distances may shift — both from the slope crest and from the toe
    • Erosion and seismic hazard overlays apply independently of the landslide rules

    Practical implication: any project at the design stage that relied on a 2018 geotechnical report should expect the report’s setback and stabilization assumptions to be reviewed against the new standard.

    What Changes for Mitigation Sequencing

    The draft tightens the standard sequence applicants follow when a critical area impact is unavoidable:

    1. Avoid — design the project to avoid the impact

    2. Minimize — if avoidance isn’t feasible, minimize the extent

    3. Mitigate — if minimization isn’t sufficient, mitigate the residual impact

    State law requires this sequence. The draft reinforces and clarifies how Everett applies it. The practical effect: a site plan that could previously skip directly to mitigation must now demonstrate avoidance and minimization first. That changes the documentation burden and the design iteration timeline.

    Technical Study Requirements — The New Documentation Burden

    For applicants, the most operationally consequential change is often the updated qualifications, scope, and content expectations for:

    • Wetland delineations
    • Stream studies
    • Geotechnical reports
    • Habitat assessments
    • Hydrogeological assessments (for aquifer recharge parcels)

    Practical translation: engage credentialed consultants earlier in the design process than the old rules required. Wetland delineations are field-season-dependent (most reliable late spring through early fall in Everett); geotechnical work has its own schedule; habitat assessments may require surveys in specific windows.

    For owners targeting a 2026 or 2027 permit submittal, that schedule matters more under the new rules than the old.

    What Owners Can Do Before the Council Vote

    • Pull your parcel’s overlays now from the city’s GIS map. This is free and doesn’t commit you to anything.
    • Compare the existing rules against the February 13 draft for the categories that touch your parcel. The ordinance text is the authoritative reference.
    • Engage a consultant early if you’re planning to build, add, or sell. Wetland delineations and geotechnical reports take weeks; starting before the vote gets ahead of any application backlog.
    • Submit comment to the council if you have technical objections to specific provisions. The April 15, 2026 hearing was the formal moment, but written comment continues to be accepted on the record before the vote.
    • Plan for the documentation gap. If your project plan was built against 2007-vintage rules, expect to redo at least some of the supporting studies.

    Vesting and Existing Applications — The Critical Practical Question

    Property owners with active applications often ask: which version of the rules applies to my project?

    The general principle in Washington land use law is that complete applications submitted before a code change are vested under the rules in force at the time of submittal. However:

    • “Complete application” has a specific procedural definition the city uses
    • Pre-application meetings do not create vesting
    • Material changes to a vested application may trigger review under the new rules

    For owners with applications in progress, this is the single most important question to confirm with city planning staff before the council vote.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: How do I find out if my Everett parcel has a critical area overlay?

    A: Check the City of Everett’s GIS map. It shows critical area overlays on individual parcels for all five categories — wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, geologically hazardous areas, and critical aquifer recharge areas.

    Q: Will the Critical Areas Regulations update affect my existing house?

    A: The regulations primarily govern new development, additions, and disturbance of critical areas. Existing legally established structures are typically grandfathered, though substantial alterations or expansions trigger review.

    Q: Are wetland buffers wider under the February 13 2026 draft than under the 2007 rules?

    A: For some wetland categories, yes. The draft updates tables 37.2 and 37.3 to reflect Best Available Science, which generally produces wider buffers for higher-functional-value wetlands. Specific buffer width changes depend on the wetland category and rating.

    Q: How do the changes affect mitigation sequencing for development?

    A: The draft tightens the avoid/minimize/mitigate sequence — meaning applicants must demonstrate avoidance and minimization steps more rigorously before mitigation is approved as the resolution path.

    Q: When does the Everett City Council vote on the Critical Areas Regulations update?

    A: The council held a public hearing on April 15, 2026 and is targeting a vote in the coming weeks. The exact date will be published on the council agenda.

    Q: Can I still submit comment to the council after the April 15 hearing?

    A: Written comment is generally accepted on the record up to the moment of the vote. The published council agenda for the vote will indicate any additional public comment opportunities.

    Q: What happens to my application if I submitted before the new rules pass?

    A: The general rule under Washington land use law is that complete applications submitted before a code change are vested under the rules in force at submittal. The specific application of vesting to your project should be confirmed with Everett planning staff before the council vote.

    Q: Do I need a wetland delineation or geotechnical report before the vote?

    A: If you are planning a project on a critical-area parcel, getting credentialed studies started early is a practical hedge — both because the studies have field-season constraints and because any post-adoption application backlog can extend timelines. Whether they’re required depends on the project scope and the parcel.


  • Everett Critical Areas Update: Approved April 15, Effective June 1, 2026

    Everett Critical Areas Update: Approved April 15, Effective June 1, 2026

    Featured Snippet

    **What is Everett’s Critical Areas Regulations update and when did it take effect?**

    Everett has updated Chapter 19.37 of the Everett Municipal Code — the section that governs how close anything new can be built to a wetland, stream, frequently flooded area, geologically hazardous area (landslide-prone slopes and bluffs), or critical aquifer recharge area. The update is required by Washington’s Growth Management Act, which had a December 31, 2025 deadline. Per the City’s 2025 Critical Area Ordinance Update Status Update (April 16, 2026), the City Council approved the periodic update ordinance on April 15, 2026, and the updated regulations are effective June 1, 2026. The adopted ordinance updates wetland buffer width tables, stream classifications, mitigation sequencing, and the technical-study requirements that property owners and developers must meet on parcels that touch any of those features.

    If you’ve ever wondered why a vacant Everett lot has stayed vacant for years even when home prices were climbing, the answer is often hidden in a single section of city code: Chapter 19.37, the Critical Areas Regulations.

    That chapter — which protects wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, landslide-prone slopes, and important wildlife habitat — sets the buffer widths, building setbacks, mitigation requirements, and technical-study requirements every Everett property owner has to follow before disturbing those features. It is one of the most frequently misunderstood parts of the municipal code, because it cuts across so many properties. Lots near Howarth Park, Pigeon Creek, Forest Park, the Snohomish River edge, and the city’s many ravine-cut blocks all carry critical-area overlays.

    The ordinance is now adopted. This is the complete 2026 guide to what changed and what the June 1 effective date means for property owners.

    What the City Is Required to Do — and Why

    Critical Areas Regulations updates are not optional. Under Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA), every city in the state has to periodically review and update its critical-area rules to incorporate Best Available Science — the current scientific consensus on what actually protects sensitive habitat.

    Everett’s last comprehensive update was in 2007. The state’s deadline for the current periodic update was December 31, 2025. The city has been working toward this update for several cycles.

    The city published a first review draft on October 31, 2025 and a second review draft on February 13, 2026. The February 13 draft is the version under active council consideration.

    The council does not have the option of leaving the rules alone. The only choice is what version to adopt and on what schedule.

    The Five Categories of Critical Areas

    The Everett Municipal Code defines five categories of critical areas:

    • Wetlands — areas saturated long enough to support hydrophytic vegetation
    • Streams and other Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas — including riparian corridors and habitat for state-listed species
    • Frequently flooded areas — typically the regulatory floodplain
    • Geologically hazardous areas — landslide-prone slopes, erosion zones, and seismic hazard areas
    • Critical aquifer recharge areas — zones where surface activity affects groundwater used for drinking water

    Each category has its own buffer requirement and its own mitigation standard, and a single parcel can be touched by more than one. A property near a wetland on a steep slope is subject to both wetland and geologic-hazard rules, with the more restrictive prevailing.

    What Changed in the Adopted Ordinance

    The adopted ordinance (built from the February 13, 2026 second review draft) preserves the basic five-category framework but updates several technical components that determine how the rules apply on a given lot. Among the most consequential:

    Wetland Buffer Widths

    The draft updates Tables 37.2 and 37.3 — the wetland buffer width tables — to reflect current Best Available Science. In practice, that adjusts how many feet of undisturbed land must remain between a wetland edge and a building, fence, or hard surface.

    For some wetland categories, the draft buffers are wider than the rules currently in place. For property owners with parcels touching wetland edges, that translates into different developable area calculations than the 2007-vintage code allowed.

    Stream Buffer Standards

    The draft revises stream classifications and corresponding buffer widths. Stream buffers were one of the most-discussed elements at the planning commission’s February 17 hearing.

    Streams in Everett include named corridors (Pigeon Creek, the Snohomish River edge, smaller drainages within Forest Park and Howarth Park) and a number of unnamed reaches. The classification of a given stream determines its buffer width. Reclassification under the new draft can move a parcel from one buffer regime to another.

    Mitigation Sequencing

    The draft tightens the standard sequence applicants have to follow when an impact to a critical area is unavoidable. The standard sequence — avoid, minimize, mitigate — is the framework state law requires; the draft reinforces and clarifies how Everett applies it.

    Technical Study Requirements

    The draft updates the qualifications, scope, and content expectations for the wetland delineations, stream studies, geotechnical reports, and habitat assessments that applicants must submit. For property owners, that often means engaging credentialed consultants earlier in the design process than was practiced under the old rules.

    Geologic Hazard Areas

    Buffer and setback rules for landslide-prone slopes and bluff edges are recalibrated in the draft. The Everett bluff is the most visible example, but the city has many smaller landslide-classified slopes inland.

    Adoption Status

    The procedural path completed as follows:

    • October 31, 2025 — first review draft published
    • February 13, 2026 — second review draft published
    • February 17, 2026 — planning commission hearing on the draft
    • April 15, 2026 — City Council public hearing; ordinance approved
    • June 1, 2026 — updated regulations effective (city Status Update, April 16, 2026)

    The April 15 public hearing was the formal moment for residents and developers to put their objections, support, or technical concerns into the record. Council approved the ordinance the same day; the rules took effect June 1, 2026.

    Who Is Affected

    The set of properties touched by Chapter 19.37 is broader than most residents realize. Critical area overlays in Everett include:

    • Lots fronting or backing onto Pigeon Creek
    • Properties near Howarth Park’s wetland edges
    • The bluff and slope corridors in north and west Everett
    • Parcels along the Snohomish River edge, including the Bayside and Riverside corridors
    • Forest Park’s perimeter and the ravine-cut blocks adjacent to it
    • Any lot inside a geologic hazard overlay (frequently visible on the city’s GIS map)
    • Properties inside the regulatory floodplain
    • Lots inside a critical aquifer recharge area

    For homeowners doing additions, fences, or accessory dwellings, the rules apply. For developers proposing infill, the rules drive site design. For homebuyers evaluating a lot, the rules determine what the parcel actually allows.

    How Resident and Developer Concerns Tend to Diverge

    The two largest constituencies have predictably different stakes:

    • Residents near wetlands, streams, and bluffs generally support stronger buffer protections, citing flooding, slope failure, water quality, and habitat
    • Developers and property owners with affected parcels generally argue against wider buffers, citing reduced developable area and the difficulty of meeting the technical-study burden

    The April 15 hearing reflected both. The Council’s job is to adopt a version that meets the GMA’s Best Available Science requirement while balancing the city’s affordability and housing supply objectives — including the buildable land assumptions that underpin the city’s Comprehensive Plan.

    What Property Owners Should Do Under the Adopted Rules

    • Check your overlay. The city’s GIS map shows critical area overlays on individual parcels. Knowing what categories touch your property is the first step.
    • Confirm effective-date timing. New permit applications after June 1, 2026 are reviewed under the adopted Chapter 19.37 standards (city CAO update).
    • Read the adopted ordinance text. The February 13 draft was the version advanced to council; the adopted code is the authoritative reference.
    • Engage a credentialed consultant if you are planning a build, addition, or sale. Wetland delineations and geotechnical reports take weeks; starting early gets you ahead of any application backlog under the new rules.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Q: When did the Everett Critical Areas Regulations update take effect?

    A: The City Council approved the ordinance on April 15, 2026; the updated regulations are effective June 1, 2026 per the City’s Critical Area Ordinance Update Status Update (April 16, 2026).

    Q: What is Chapter 19.37 of the Everett Municipal Code?

    A: Chapter 19.37 is Everett’s Critical Areas Regulations — the section governing development near wetlands, streams, frequently flooded areas, geologically hazardous areas (landslide-prone slopes), and critical aquifer recharge areas.

    Q: When was Everett’s last Critical Areas Regulations update?

    A: 2007. The current update is the periodic state-required refresh under Washington’s Growth Management Act. The state deadline was December 31, 2025.

    Q: What categories of critical areas does Everett regulate?

    A: Five: wetlands; streams and Fish and Wildlife Habitat Conservation Areas; frequently flooded areas; geologically hazardous areas (landslide, erosion, seismic); and critical aquifer recharge areas.

    Q: What is changing in the February 13, 2026 draft?

    A: The most consequential changes are updated wetland buffer width tables (37.2 and 37.3), revised stream classifications and buffer standards, tightened mitigation sequencing, updated technical-study requirements, and recalibrated buffer and setback rules for landslide-prone slopes and bluff edges.

    Q: Does the update apply to existing buildings?

    A: The Critical Areas Regulations primarily govern new development, additions, and disturbance of critical areas. Existing legally established structures are typically grandfathered, though substantial alterations or expansions trigger review.

    Q: Where can I read the actual draft ordinance?

    A: The City of Everett’s planning portal publishes the February 13, 2026 second review draft. The ordinance text and supporting maps are the authoritative reference.

    Q: What is “Best Available Science” in the context of this update?

    A: A standard required by Washington’s Growth Management Act. Cities must consider current peer-reviewed scientific consensus on habitat protection, water quality, flooding, and slope stability when adopting critical-area rules. The February 13 draft is Everett’s attempt to incorporate that standard for the first time since 2007.


  • Everett NR-MHC Zone: A Guide for Mobile Home Park Residents

    Everett NR-MHC Zone: A Guide for Mobile Home Park Residents

    What does Everett’s proposed NR-MHC zone mean if I live in one of the seven mobile home parks? If you live at Creekside, Fairway Estates, Lago De Plata Villa, Loganberry, Mobile Country Club, Silver Shores Senior, or Westridge — the City of Everett is about to put your community on the zoning map in a way it has never been before. The new Neighborhood Residential – Manufactured Home Community (NR-MHC) zone restricts redevelopment of your park’s land into apartments, retail, or any other use without an explicit, public rezone. The Everett City Council holds the public hearing on the ordinance on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. at 3002 Wetmore Avenue. Show up if you can.

    This is the resident-side read of the NR-MHC zone complete guide. The core walks through the ordinance and the Comprehensive Plan policies it implements. This one walks through what it actually means for the residents of the seven parks.

    The basic protection, in plain language

    If you own your manufactured home but rent the lot, your housing security has historically depended on whether the park owner decided to sell to a redeveloper. The standard pattern in Puget Sound has been simple and unkind: a park sells, residents get notice to relocate, and the land becomes apartments or townhomes. Moving a manufactured home is often more expensive than the home is worth. Many older units cannot legally be relocated under current code at all. The home equity you carry — even if modest — disappears in the relocation.

    The NR-MHC zone does not stop a sale. It does change what a buyer can do with the land after the sale. A buyer who wants to redevelop the parcel into apartments, retail, or any other non-manufactured-home-community use has to go through an explicit rezone — a slow, public, politically visible process — rather than the quieter administrative paths that have historically made park redevelopment relatively frictionless.

    That changes the math for park owners weighing a sale to a redeveloper. It does not eliminate redevelopment risk; it raises the friction.

    The seven parks the ordinance would cover

    • Creekside Mobile Home Park — 5810 Fleming Street
    • Fairway Estates Mobile Home Park — 1427 100th Street
    • Lago De Plata Villa — 620 112th Street
    • Loganberry Mobile Home Park — 9931 18th Avenue W.
    • Mobile Country Club — 1415 84th Street
    • Silver Shores Senior Mobile Home Park — 11622 Silver Lake Road
    • Westridge Mobile Home Park — 7701 Hardeson Road

    Several of these are 55+ communities. Several have been in place for decades. None of them, until now, have had a zoning designation that says “this is a manufactured home community and that is the use we are protecting.”

    What does not change

    It is worth being clear about what the NR-MHC zone is and is not.

    It does not regulate lot rents. Rent increases between you and the park owner are governed by Washington state landlord-tenant law and any specific manufactured home community statutes — not by this zoning ordinance.

    It does not change park ownership. The park owner still owns the park. Sale to another owner who continues operating it as a manufactured home community is unaffected.

    It does not change park rules. Internal park rules, lot leases, age restrictions, and pet policies are governed by your lot lease and park rules, not by city zoning.

    It does not stop a sale or transfer. The protective zoning is on the use, not on the transaction.

    It is not permanent. A future City Council can amend or rescind the zone, just as the current council is creating it. The protection is real but it lives inside the political process.

    What the May 6 hearing is for

    The public hearing on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at 3002 Wetmore Avenue is the formal opportunity for residents, neighbors, advocates, and park owners to address the council before adoption.

    If you live in one of the seven parks, the most useful thing you can do is show up — or submit written comment in advance through the city’s standard public-comment channels. The council is implementing two specific Comprehensive Plan policies (HO-10 and HO-19) through this ordinance; testimony from the residents the policies are designed to protect carries real weight in that record.

    If you cannot attend in person, ask a neighbor to read your written comment, contact your council member directly, or work with a neighborhood organization or housing advocate to ensure your voice is in the record.

    What to ask, what to bring

    If you plan to testify, useful frames include:

    • How long you have lived in the park, and what the park means to your household
    • What the equity in your manufactured home represents to your finances
    • What the lot rent in your park is compared to nearby apartment rents — that is the affordability story in concrete numbers
    • Why a stable, protected community matters for older residents, fixed-income households, or 55+ neighbors
    • What questions you have about the long-term durability of the protection

    You do not need a polished speech. The lived experience is the testimony.

    How this fits with the broader anti-displacement work in Everett

    The NR-MHC zone is part of a broader effort across the city to slow displacement before larger market and infrastructure pressures arrive. Two parallel pieces:

    • Stations Unidos — the rebranded community development corporation focused on Casino Road and the Everett Station District ahead of Sound Transit Link. See our complete Stations Unidos guide.
    • The City of Everett’s broader Comprehensive Plan implementation across all 21 neighborhoods.

    Read together, the NR-MHC zone is the regulatory side of the strategy. Stations Unidos and the Housing Authority are the acquisition and development sides. Each addresses a different slice of the same problem.

    The honest read

    The NR-MHC zone is one of the strongest structural anti-displacement tools the city has put on the table for manufactured home communities. It is not a guarantee — no zoning is — but it materially raises the friction on redevelopment and gives residents a meaningful structural backstop. The May 6 public hearing is the moment to get it on the record. If you live in one of the seven parks, your voice is the one the council most needs to hear.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the NR-MHC zone?

    NR-MHC stands for Neighborhood Residential – Manufactured Home Community. It is a new zoning category restricting the underlying land of seven specific Everett mobile home parks against redevelopment into other uses without an explicit rezone.

    When is the public hearing?

    Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at 3002 Wetmore Avenue.

    Will my lot rent change because of this?

    No. The NR-MHC zone does not regulate lot rents. Rent between you and the park owner remains governed by your lot lease and Washington state landlord-tenant law.

    Can my park owner still sell the park?

    Yes. The zone does not prohibit sale or transfer. It restricts what a buyer can do with the land afterward — specifically, redeveloping it into a non-manufactured-home-community use requires an explicit rezone.

    Can a future council remove the zone?

    Yes. A future City Council can amend or rescind the zone through the same legislative process. The protection is durable but lives inside the political process.

    What if I cannot attend the May 6 hearing?

    Submit written comment through the city’s standard public-comment channels in advance of the hearing. You can also contact your council member directly. Working with a neighborhood organization, housing advocate, or trusted neighbor to make sure your voice is in the record is a strong fallback.

    How do I find out my parcel’s current zoning?

    The City of Everett Planning Department is the authoritative source. Their public counter and online zoning map will show your parcel’s current designation and the proposed NR-MHC change. Contact Planning at (425) 257-8810 or visit everettwa.gov for current zoning information.

    Does this affect the city’s broader budget or my taxes?

    The NR-MHC ordinance is a zoning code amendment with no direct tax or budget line item. The broader anti-displacement strategy interacts with the city’s housing programs and Comprehensive Plan implementation, which sit inside the larger 2027 budget conversation covered in our complete budget guide.


  • Everett NR-MHC Zone: Protecting 7 Mobile Home Parks

    Everett NR-MHC Zone: Protecting 7 Mobile Home Parks

    What is Everett’s NR-MHC zone and when is the public hearing? The Neighborhood Residential – Manufactured Home Community (NR-MHC) zone is a new land use category the City of Everett is creating to protect seven existing manufactured home parks from being redeveloped into other uses. The proposed ordinance amends Sections 15.02 and 19.03–19.13 of the Everett Municipal Code and repeals Title 17 (Mobile Home Parks). The Everett City Council holds a public hearing on the ordinance on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at 3002 Wetmore Avenue. The new zone is one of the most consequential anti-displacement tools the city has on the table this year.

    What this ordinance actually does

    The proposed code amendment, posted by Everett Planning – Public Notices on April 10, 2026, would do four things at once:

    1. Create the new NR-MHC zoning category in Title 19 EMC (Sections 15.02, 19.03, 19.04, 19.05, and 19.13).
    2. Apply the new NR-MHC zone to seven specific manufactured housing communities (addresses below).
    3. Repeal Title 17 of the Everett Municipal Code — the older “Mobile Home Parks” chapter — folding that regulation into the unified development code.
    4. Implement two specific policies from the city’s adopted Comprehensive Plan: HO-10 (Protect manufactured/mobile home communities from redevelopment into other uses) and HO-19 (Collaborate with local partners to preserve and maintain affordable housing units).

    Goal 4 of the Comprehensive Plan, which the city is invoking here, reads: “Ensure equitable access to opportunity and housing choice throughout the city’s neighborhoods so that all residents may choose their neighborhood.”

    The seven communities being put on the map

    Per the city’s public notice, the new NR-MHC designation would apply to:

    • Creekside Mobile Home Park — 5810 Fleming Street
    • Fairway Estates Mobile Home Park — 1427 100th Street
    • Lago De Plata Villa — 620 112th Street
    • Loganberry Mobile Home Park — 9931 18th Avenue W.
    • Mobile Country Club — 1415 84th Street
    • Silver Shores Senior Mobile Home Park — 11622 Silver Lake Road
    • Westridge Mobile Home Park — 7701 Hardeson Road

    That is roughly the manufactured-housing population of Everett’s south end, plus a chunk of the Silver Lake area. Several of these are 55+ communities. Several have been in place for decades. None of them, until now, have had a zoning designation that says “this is a manufactured home community and that is the use we are protecting.”

    Why this matters more than a typical code update

    Manufactured home parks are one of the only forms of unsubsidized affordable homeownership left in Snohomish County. The standard pattern in Puget Sound over the last 20 years has been straightforward and unkind: a park sells, residents get notice to relocate, and the land is redeveloped into apartments or townhomes. Households that owned their manufactured home but rented the lot lose the home equity they had — moving a manufactured home is often more expensive than the home is worth, and many older units cannot legally be relocated under current code at all.

    The NR-MHC zone does not make a sale impossible. It does make redeveloping the land into a different use a slow, public, and explicit process — one that requires the city to actively rezone the parcel out of the protective designation. That changes the math for park owners weighing a sale to a redeveloper, and it gives residents a structural backstop that lease-side protections alone cannot provide.

    The May 6 public hearing

    The Everett City Council will hold the public hearing on the ordinance on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in the city council chambers at 3002 Wetmore Avenue, Everett.

    This is the formal opportunity for residents of the seven affected parks, neighbors, housing advocates, and park owners to address the council before adoption. Written comment is also accepted through the city’s standard public-comment channels in advance of and at the hearing.

    How this fits with the rest of Everett’s anti-displacement work

    The NR-MHC zone is one piece of a broader anti-displacement strategy taking shape across the city. Read it alongside:

    • Stations Unidos — the rebranded community development corporation explicitly built to slow displacement in Casino Road and the Everett Station District ahead of Sound Transit Link. See our complete Stations Unidos guide.
    • The City of Everett’s broader Comprehensive Plan housing implementation across all 21 neighborhoods.
    • The Everett Housing Authority’s portfolio work.
    • The broader 2027 budget conversation that determines what additional anti-displacement programs the city can fund — see our complete 2027 budget guide.

    The NR-MHC zone is the regulatory side of the strategy. Stations Unidos and the Housing Authority are the acquisition and development sides. Together they form an anti-displacement toolkit that addresses different parts of the same problem.

    Park-by-park: what is being protected

    Each of the seven communities has its own demographic and physical character. The common thread: residents who own the manufactured home but rent the underlying lot, often older households on fixed incomes, often in 55+ communities. The total resident count across the seven parks is in the low thousands. The lot rents in these communities are meaningfully below market apartment rents in the same parts of the city, and the home equity residents carry — even modest — is a significant piece of household wealth that disappears in a relocation.

    The city’s framing of the proposed zone as a furtherance of HO-10 and HO-19 in the Comprehensive Plan is the key institutional signal. This is not an emergency response to a specific pending sale; it is the implementation of an adopted housing policy through the zoning code.

    What to watch next

    • The May 6 City Council public hearing — testimony, council questions, any proposed amendments
    • Council vote schedule following the hearing
    • Park owner positions on the proposal
    • Resident advocacy and organizing in the seven affected communities
    • Any parallel or follow-on housing code amendments the council pursues alongside the NR-MHC adoption

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the NR-MHC zone?

    NR-MHC stands for Neighborhood Residential – Manufactured Home Community. It is a new zoning category the City of Everett is proposing to apply to seven specific manufactured home parks, restricting redevelopment of those parcels into other uses without an explicit rezone.

    When is the public hearing?

    The Everett City Council holds the public hearing on Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at 6:30 p.m. in council chambers at 3002 Wetmore Avenue.

    Which parks are covered?

    The proposed NR-MHC designation would apply to Creekside Mobile Home Park (5810 Fleming Street), Fairway Estates Mobile Home Park (1427 100th Street), Lago De Plata Villa (620 112th Street), Loganberry Mobile Home Park (9931 18th Avenue W.), Mobile Country Club (1415 84th Street), Silver Shores Senior Mobile Home Park (11622 Silver Lake Road), and Westridge Mobile Home Park (7701 Hardeson Road).

    What does the ordinance change in the Municipal Code?

    The ordinance creates the NR-MHC category in Title 19 EMC by amending Sections 15.02, 19.03, 19.04, 19.05, and 19.13, applies the new zone to the seven specified parks, and repeals Title 17 EMC (the older Mobile Home Parks chapter).

    What Comprehensive Plan policies does this implement?

    HO-10 (Protect manufactured/mobile home communities from redevelopment into other uses) and HO-19 (Collaborate with local partners to preserve and maintain affordable housing units), under Goal 4 (Ensure equitable access to opportunity and housing choice throughout the city’s neighborhoods).

    Does the NR-MHC zone make a park sale impossible?

    No. The zone does not prohibit sale or transfer. It does require any redevelopment of the underlying land into a different use to go through an explicit rezone — a slow, public, and politically visible process — rather than the quieter administrative paths that historically have made park redevelopment relatively frictionless.

    Can I comment if I do not live in one of the parks?

    Yes. Public hearings are open to anyone who wants to address the council. Written comment can be submitted through the city’s standard public-comment channels in advance of and at the hearing.

    How does this connect to Stations Unidos?

    Both are anti-displacement tools, but they target different problems. The NR-MHC zone protects mobile home parks across multiple Everett neighborhoods through zoning. Stations Unidos is a community development corporation focused on Casino Road and the Everett Station District, working through real estate acquisition and development. Read together, they are pieces of a broader strategy.


  • Stations Unidos Casino Road: Anti-Displacement Guide 2026

    Stations Unidos Casino Road: Anti-Displacement Guide 2026

    What does Stations Unidos mean for me as a Casino Road resident? If you live in Casino Road or one of the apartment complexes along Evergreen Way, the Stations Unidos rebrand and expanded service area give you something the neighborhood has never had before: a community development corporation with explicit governance representation from South Everett, an explicit anti-displacement mission, and an explicit timeline tied to Sound Transit’s Link light rail planning. Two planned Link stations are coming. Stations Unidos exists to slow the displacement that historically follows.

    This is the resident-side read of the Stations Unidos complete guide. The core walks through the structure and history. This one walks through what it actually means for renters, homeowners, and small-business owners in Casino Road.

    The pattern Stations Unidos is built to interrupt

    If you have lived in Casino Road for any length of time, you already know the rhythm. A new apartment complex goes up, the rents on the older buildings climb to match, and the families who made the neighborhood what it is start quietly disappearing. It happens in the spaces between the news cycles, and by the time anyone outside the neighborhood notices, it is done.

    That is the pattern Stations Unidos was built to slow down. The rebrand from Everett Station District Alliance, the expanded service area into Casino Road, and the equal-board representation are the structural answer to the question: who is at the table when these decisions get made?

    What changed for Casino Road specifically

    Three concrete shifts as of early 2026:

    1. Equal board representation. The Stations Unidos board now has three South Everett seats — Julio Cortes, Alvaro Guillen (Chair), and Tony Hernandez — sitting at the same table as three Everett Station District seats. Future board seats are nominated by neighborhood advisory boards in each area.
    2. An organization with money to spend on real estate. The mission is to invest in real estate to preserve the affordability of existing housing and small businesses, plus build new affordable housing and commercial space. That is a different operating model than a placemaking nonprofit.
    3. An explicit anti-displacement mandate ahead of light rail. Sound Transit’s Chief Planning and Development Officer publicly endorsed the work as critical preparation for the Link extension. The institutional alignment is real.

    What this means if you rent

    If you rent in Casino Road, the displacement risk you are reading about in the news is not theoretical. The Link extension brings property speculation 5 to 10 years before the trains run. The most exposed renters in the corridor are:

    • Tenants in older apartment complexes that change ownership in the run-up to light rail
    • Tenants in buildings with expiring affordability covenants
    • Tenants in the small mixed-use buildings along Casino Road and Evergreen Way that are most attractive to redevelopment

    Stations Unidos’s strategy includes acquiring and stabilizing at-risk buildings before market pressure forces them out of reach. The practical implication: as renters, your most useful move is to know your rights, document your tenancy, and stay engaged with neighborhood organizations like Connect Casino Road that work alongside Stations Unidos.

    What this means if you own

    For homeowners, the Link extension is a property-value story with a complicated edge. Property values in transit-oriented neighborhoods historically rise meaningfully ahead of station openings. That is good news on paper. The complication is that the same forces that lift homeowner values displace renters and small businesses, and a neighborhood that loses its character loses some of what made the property valuable in the first place.

    Stations Unidos’s anti-displacement work is not at odds with homeowner interests. A stable neighborhood with preserved small-business commercial frontage and durable affordability is a better long-term place to own a home than a neighborhood that gets reshaped by speculative redevelopment in the run-up to light rail. Engaging with the work — through neighborhood advisory channels, through the City of Everett’s Comprehensive Plan implementation, through the broader anti-displacement effort — is in homeowner interest.

    What this means if you run a small business

    The corridor’s working-class, immigrant-rooted character is anchored by small businesses — the tortillerías, the family-run restaurants, the immigrant-owned services that anchor day-to-day life in Casino Road. Stations Unidos’s mission explicitly includes preserving the affordability of small business space, including new affordable commercial space in mixed-use buildings the organization develops or acquires.

    For business owners, the practical near-term move is to get on the radar — through neighborhood organizations, through direct outreach to Stations Unidos at stationsunidos.org, through the City of Everett’s small-business resources. Anti-displacement programs work best when the organizations doing the work know exactly which businesses are most at risk and which would benefit most from acquisition or partnership.

    The Sound Transit timeline context

    Sound Transit’s Everett Link extension is on a long planning horizon. Construction is years away. Service is further away still. The deeper read on the timeline is in our Everett Link complete guide from the April 15 run.

    The crucial point for residents: the displacement pressure does not wait for the trains. Property speculation, ownership change, and rent pressure tend to start showing up 5 to 10 years before a station opens. That is exactly the window Stations Unidos is operating in right now.

    How to plug in

    • Visit stationsunidos.org to follow the organization’s announcements and acquisition priorities
    • Engage with Connect Casino Road and the broader LISC Puget Sound network in South Everett
    • Attend neighborhood advisory board meetings as those structures form
    • Follow City of Everett Comprehensive Plan implementation in Casino Road
    • Watch for affordability covenants expiring on local apartment buildings — those are the highest-leverage acquisition targets

    The honest read

    No single organization can stop transit-driven displacement. The market forces around a Link station are too large for that. But Stations Unidos is the organization explicitly built to slow the pattern, with the governance structure, the funding access, and the institutional alignment to do meaningful work in the years before the trains arrive. That is something Casino Road has not had before. Whether the throughput matches the structural promise is the next 24 months’ question — and resident engagement is part of what determines the answer.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Where is Stations Unidos located?

    Stations Unidos’s institutional roots are in the Everett Station District at 3201 Smith Avenue. The expanded service area now covers both downtown’s Station District and Casino Road in South Everett. The organization operates across both neighborhoods.

    How is this different from Connect Casino Road?

    Connect Casino Road is a long-standing community network coordinating dozens of immigrant-owned businesses, social service providers, and resident organizations. Stations Unidos is a community development corporation with the capacity to acquire and develop real estate. The two work in coordination — Connect Casino Road provides the deep neighborhood knowledge; Stations Unidos brings the housing and commercial real estate strategy.

    Will rents stop rising in Casino Road?

    No single intervention stops the broader rent pressure that comes with transit-oriented investment. Stations Unidos’s strategy is to acquire and stabilize specific at-risk buildings as long-term affordable assets, preserving affordability for existing residents in those buildings. The wider rental market will continue moving with regional dynamics.

    What if I want to nominate someone for the board?

    Future board seats will be nominated by neighborhood advisory boards in both the Everett Station District and South Everett as those structures form. Engagement through the advisory boards, once announced, is the formal nomination path.

    How does the NR-MHC mobile home zone connect?

    The proposed NR-MHC manufactured housing zone is separate but parallel anti-displacement work — the city’s effort to preserve seven mobile home parks against redevelopment. Read the two together as parts of a broader anti-displacement strategy in Everett. Our NR-MHC zone coverage walks through the proposed ordinance and the May 6, 2026 public hearing.

    What’s the most useful thing a resident can do right now?

    Document your tenancy, know your rights, stay engaged with neighborhood organizations, and watch for the affordability covenant expirations and ownership changes on apartment buildings near you. Those are the leading indicators of where the next acquisition decisions will need to land.


  • Stations Unidos: Everett’s New Anti-Displacement CDC

    Stations Unidos: Everett’s New Anti-Displacement CDC

    What is Stations Unidos? Stations Unidos is the Everett community development corporation that emerged in early 2026 from the rebranding of the Everett Station District Alliance (ESDA) (stationsunidos.org). It is a 501(c)(3) housing-and-placemaking nonprofit with an expanded service area that now covers both downtown’s Everett Station District (around 3201 Smith Avenue) and the Casino Road corridor in South Everett. Its board is split equally between the two neighborhoods. Its mission is to invest in real estate to preserve the affordability of existing housing and small businesses, and to build new affordable housing and commercial space, ahead of Sound Transit’s Link light rail arrival.

    Why this matters now

    Two planned Sound Transit Link light rail stations are years away from opening on the Everett extension. But the planning is happening now, the property speculation is happening now, and the displacement risk is happening now. Marshall Foster, Sound Transit’s Chief Planning and Development Officer, said at the Stations Unidos launch that the work the organization will be doing in the years before the trains arrive is going to be critical. The lesson the agency took from earlier Link extensions in Seattle — neighborhoods like Rainier Valley and Beacon Hill — is that you cannot wait for the station to open before protecting the people who will need it most. By then it is already too late.

    Casino Road is one of the most economically and ethnically diverse neighborhoods in Snohomish County. It is home to large Latino, Cambodian, Vietnamese, and East African communities, several of the most-trafficked food banks and pantries in the city, and dozens of immigrant-owned businesses. The Everett Station District anchors the city’s transit hub, civic agencies, and a working downtown employment center. Both neighborhoods carry displacement risk as transit-driven property speculation accelerates.

    What changed in 2026

    The pre-2026 ESDA was, for several years after its 2017 incorporation, primarily focused on cleaning, safety, and placemaking work in the immediate Everett Station footprint. The board contracted with LISC Puget Sound — the regional intermediary that has anchored years of community investment in Casino Road — in 2024 to figure out how to evolve from a station-area alliance into a full community development corporation.

    After more than a year of community engagement, the ESDA board adopted LISC’s recommendations in 2025, and the organization formally rebranded as Stations Unidos in early 2026. The official launch announcement landed on February 24, 2026.

    The new name is the most visible change. The bigger one is structural.

    The board structure is the story

    Under the new governance, the board of directors is split equally between the Everett Station District and South Everett. The Casino Road side of the table is just as full as the downtown side. Future board seats will be nominated by neighborhood advisory boards in each area.

    The current board reads like a who’s who of two neighborhoods that historically have not always talked to each other:

    From the Everett Station District: Roland Behee, Mary Anne Dillon (Vice Chair), and Joe Sievers (Secretary).

    From South Everett: Julio Cortes, Alvaro Guillen (Chair), and Tony Hernandez.

    At-large members: Victor Caesar, Amber Harrington (Treasurer), and Bobby Thompson.

    Brock Howell is CEO and President. Ed Petersen serves as Chief Strategic Housing Officer.

    The fact that a Chief Strategic Housing Officer is in the room — at all — is the tell. This is not a placemaking nonprofit anymore. This is a housing organization with placemaking in its toolkit.

    The mission, in concrete terms

    Stations Unidos’s mission is to invest in real estate to preserve the affordability of existing housing and small businesses, as well as to build new affordable housing and commercial space. In a transit-oriented development context, that translates into a specific set of activities:

    • Acquiring at-risk properties — apartment buildings, mobile home parks, small commercial properties — and stabilizing them as long-term affordable assets before market pressure forces them out of reach.
    • Partnering with existing housing operators to extend affordability covenants on properties that would otherwise convert to market rate at covenant expiration.
    • Developing new affordable housing on properties the organization acquires or assembles, including mixed-use buildings that preserve commercial frontage for small immigrant-owned businesses.
    • Coordinating with the City of Everett, Sound Transit, the Everett Housing Authority, and LISC on funding stacks that combine federal, state, local, and philanthropic capital.

    Why Casino Road specifically

    Casino Road carries the highest near-term displacement risk in Everett because of the Link light rail timeline. Two planned stations — including one near Casino Road — bring the kind of property speculation that historically precedes resident and small-business displacement by 5 to 10 years.

    The corridor’s working-class, immigrant-rooted character is exactly what gets lost first under transit-driven displacement — and exactly what is already showing up in pressure on places like the small Casino Road tortillerías and family-run restaurants that anchor day-to-day life in the neighborhood. For the deeper neighborhood read, our Casino Road neighborhood guide walks through the demographic and economic context.

    The funding stack

    Community development corporations like Stations Unidos do not run on a single funding source. The typical capital stack combines:

    • Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC) for new construction
    • Federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME funds, channeled through the City of Everett
    • Washington State Housing Finance Commission programs
    • Snohomish County housing funds
    • LISC Puget Sound capital, which has anchored years of Casino Road investment
    • Philanthropic and private capital from Puget Sound foundations and community development financial institutions

    The transit-oriented dimension also opens specific federal and state programs designed to fund anti-displacement work in station areas before the transit infrastructure arrives.

    How Stations Unidos fits with the broader Everett picture

    Stations Unidos is not the only organization doing this work in Everett, but it is the one with explicit governance structure built around the two neighborhoods carrying the highest near-term transit-driven displacement risk. Read it alongside:

    • The Everett Housing Authority’s ongoing portfolio
    • The City of Everett’s Comprehensive Plan implementation in Casino Road and the Station District
    • The proposed NR-MHC manufactured housing zone protecting seven mobile home parks (separate but parallel anti-displacement work — see our NR-MHC zone coverage)
    • LISC Puget Sound’s broader Casino Road work
    • The Sound Transit Everett Link extension planning — see our Everett Link complete guide

    What to watch next

    • First Stations Unidos real estate acquisitions or development announcements
    • Funding stack signals — LIHTC awards, CDBG allocations, philanthropic commitments
    • Sound Transit Link extension milestones and the resulting property-speculation patterns
    • Coordinated work with the City of Everett on Comprehensive Plan implementation along Casino Road
    • Board expansion as neighborhood advisory boards nominate additional seats

    The honest framing

    Stations Unidos is not going to single-handedly stop transit-driven displacement in Everett. The market forces around a Link extension are too large for any single nonprofit. But it is the organization specifically built to slow displacement in two neighborhoods where the displacement risk is most concentrated — and to do that with the explicit governance representation that historically has been missing from these conversations. The structure tells you the seriousness. The next 24 months will tell you the throughput.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What did Stations Unidos used to be called?

    Stations Unidos is the rebranded form of the Everett Station District Alliance (ESDA), a 501(c)(3) nonprofit incorporated in 2017. The official name change and expanded service area were announced February 24, 2026.

    Who runs Stations Unidos?

    Brock Howell serves as CEO and President. Ed Petersen serves as Chief Strategic Housing Officer. The board chair is Alvaro Guillen, with Mary Anne Dillon as Vice Chair, Joe Sievers as Secretary, and Amber Harrington as Treasurer.

    What neighborhoods does Stations Unidos serve?

    The expanded service area covers both the Everett Station District in downtown and the Casino Road corridor in South Everett. The board is split equally between representatives from the two neighborhoods, with three at-large members.

    How is Stations Unidos connected to Sound Transit?

    Sound Transit’s Link light rail extension will bring two planned stations to the Stations Unidos service area — one near downtown Everett, one near Casino Road. Sound Transit’s Chief Planning and Development Officer Marshall Foster publicly endorsed the Stations Unidos work at the launch as critical anti-displacement preparation.

    What is LISC Puget Sound’s role?

    LISC Puget Sound is the regional community development intermediary that has anchored years of community investment in Casino Road. ESDA contracted with LISC in 2024 to design the evolution into a full community development corporation; LISC’s recommendations were the foundation of the 2025 board adoption and the 2026 rebrand.

    How can residents get involved?

    Stations Unidos’s governance includes neighborhood advisory boards in both the Everett Station District and South Everett. Future board seats will be nominated through these advisory boards. Resident engagement runs through Stations Unidos directly at stationsunidos.org and through community events in both neighborhoods.

    What’s the relationship to the Casino Road neighborhood organizations already there?

    Stations Unidos is built to coordinate with — not replace — existing community-based organizations in Casino Road, including the long-standing Connect Casino Road network and dozens of immigrant-owned business organizations. The expanded board structure is designed to bring those voices into a unified anti-displacement governance.


  • Everett EMS Levy: Pro and Con Committee Volunteers Needed

    Everett EMS Levy: Pro and Con Committee Volunteers Needed

    How does Everett’s EMS levy Pro and Con committee process work? The City of Everett is recruiting volunteers to serve on Pro and Con committees that will write the official 250-word arguments for and against the August 4, 2026 EMS levy ballot measure. Applications close at 11:59 p.m. Monday, April 27, 2026. The City Council appoints committee members at the April 29, 2026 meeting. Statements are due to Snohomish County Elections by May 7, with rebuttals due May 11. Committee members’ names are printed in the local Voters’ Pamphlet alongside their statement.

    If you have an opinion on Everett’s EMS levy and you want it printed in the official Voters’ Pamphlet that lands in every Everett mailbox before the August 4 primary, here’s the deal: the city needs your application by 11:59 p.m. tomorrow night, Monday, April 27, 2026.

    This isn’t writing a letter to the editor. This is a statutory role. Under Washington State law (RCW 29A.32.280), when a jurisdiction puts a measure on the ballot, the city has to appoint a committee for and a committee against. Those committees draft the words voters read.

    What this measure does and what’s at stake

    The Everett City Council voted at its April 22, 2026 meeting to place an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) property tax levy lid lift on the August 4, 2026 primary ballot. If voters approve, the EMS levy rate would be restored from approximately $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value back to $0.50 per $1,000 — the rate Everett voters originally approved in 2018.

    For a typical home in Everett, restoration works out to roughly $5 to $8 per month. The city’s published yearly examples:

    • $450,000 home → +$63 per year
    • $575,000 home (the 2026 city average) → +$81 per year
    • $700,000 home → +$98 per year

    EMS levy funding supports approximately 78 positions at the Everett Fire Department — the firefighter-paramedics and EMTs who answer the bulk of 911 calls. EMS calls made up about 82% of Everett Fire dispatches in 2025; the department responded to more than 25,700 total calls last year, an increase from 22,955 in 2018.

    “Emergency medical services are a critical part of how we serve our Everett community every day,” Mayor Cassie Franklin said in the city’s April 22 press release announcing the ballot measure. “This measure provides our residents with the opportunity to sustain and support robust, high quality and timely emergency care as our community and service demand grows.”

    That’s the city’s framing, and it is one side of the argument voters will see. The other side gets equal space in the pamphlet — and that side has to come from somewhere. That somewhere is the Con committee.

    What a Pro or Con committee actually does

    Per the city’s published process and Snohomish County Elections rules, here’s what you sign up for:

    • Write a 250-word-maximum statement. Pro committees argue for approval. Con committees argue for rejection. Word counts are strict — Snohomish County Elections enforces the limit.
    • Work independently from the City. Once appointed, committees operate without city involvement in the drafting. The city doesn’t review or edit your argument.
    • Optionally write a rebuttal. After the statements are filed, each committee can read the other side’s statement and write a shorter rebuttal.
    • Have your name printed in the local Voters’ Pamphlet alongside your statement. This is on-the-record civic participation, not anonymous.

    The structure is meant to give voters a clean apples-to-apples view: the city’s neutral fiscal explainer, the proponents’ case, the opponents’ case, the rebuttals, and the official ballot title. People who want to fight this measure in print, and people who want to defend it in print, get the same number of words and the same distribution channel.

    The deadline calendar — short and unforgiving

    Snohomish County Elections runs a tight timeline. Miss any of these and you’re out:

    • Monday, April 27, 2026, at 11:59 p.m. — Application deadline to volunteer for either committee. Online application form. Late or incomplete applications are not accepted.
    • Wednesday, April 29, 2026 — Everett City Council appoints committee members at its meeting.
    • Friday, May 1, 2026 — City submits committee appointments to the Snohomish County Auditor.
    • Thursday, May 7, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. — Pro and Con statements (≤250 words each) due to Snohomish County Elections.
    • Monday, May 11, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. — Rebuttal statements due.

    From sign-up to filed argument, you have about two weeks. Most of that two weeks is just waiting for council appointment and reading the opposing committee’s statement to draft your rebuttal.

    Who gets picked and why

    The application form goes to the City of Everett Fire Department, but the appointing body is the City Council. There’s no formal qualification beyond being an Everett resident willing to put your name to a public position on a ballot measure. In practice, councils often appoint people who have previously testified at council on related issues, who are active in neighborhood associations or relevant advocacy groups, or who have professional context for the question (a retired firefighter for the Pro committee, a tax-policy critic for the Con committee, for instance).

    If both Pro and Con receive multiple qualified applicants, the council selects the committee that best represents the position. If a side receives zero applicants, the city is required to make an effort to find someone — but the statement may end up shorter, signed by fewer people, or in rare cases not filed at all. That last outcome leaves only the city’s neutral explainer and the ballot title in the pamphlet, which historically benefits the Pro side.

    What the Con argument might look like

    This is where the levy debate actually lands. The neutral case for “yes” is well documented in the city’s release: rising call volume, capped 1% revenue growth under state law, restoration of a previously voter-approved rate.

    The case for “no” tends to draw from a few standard angles, each of which the Con committee would have 250 words to make:

    • Property tax fatigue. Everett homeowners are also weighing other levies, special districts, and a structural 2027 general fund deficit that has the city looking at additional revenue measures.
    • The 1% growth limit’s purpose. Initiative 747 (and subsequent legislation) was passed to constrain property tax growth on purpose. A lid lift is a vote to override that constraint.
    • Service-level questions. Whether the additional revenue is the only path to maintain the EMS service level, versus reallocation from other funds.
    • Scope of the levy lid lift. The temporary two-year structure (2027–2028) means the question will be back. Some voters object on principle to a recurring revenue lift.

    None of these are the city’s framing. That’s the point. Pro/Con committees exist precisely because the neutral fiscal note can’t carry the political argument on its own.

    What the Pro argument might look like

    Likely framing for the Pro committee, which would also have 250 words:

    • Restoration, not increase. Voters previously approved $0.50 per $1,000 in 2018; the levy has been eroded by the 1% cap, not voted down.
    • Call volume math. 25,700 calls in 2025 versus 22,955 in 2018, with EMS as 82% of dispatches.
    • Cost in personal terms. About $5–$8 per month for the median Everett homeowner.
    • Direct connection to staffing. Approximately 78 firefighter-paramedic positions tied to the levy.
    • Quote from Fire Chief Dave DeMarco in the city release: “Our firefighters and EMS personnel respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year to a wide range of emergencies, with the majority involving medical care. EMS funding supports the personnel, training, and equipment needed to respond effectively and provide care when it is needed.”

    What residents should actually do

    For the next 24 hours or so, the action item is concrete:

    • If you want to write the Pro or Con argument: apply by 11:59 p.m. Monday, April 27, 2026 at the city’s online form. To request accommodations, email communications@everettwa.gov.
    • If you want to watch the appointment vote: Wednesday, April 29, 2026, 12:30 p.m. council session, William E. Moore Historic City Hall / Police North Precinct, 3002 Wetmore Ave., or the council livestream on the city website.
    • If you want background on the levy itself: see the city’s EMS levy information page and the full April 22 city press release.
    • If you want to know more about how Pro/Con committees work in Snohomish County: the Snohomish County 2026 District Guide spells out the rules. For procedural questions, call Snohomish County Elections at (425) 388-3444.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Do I get paid to serve on a Pro or Con committee?
    No. These are unpaid volunteer roles. The compensation, in a sense, is having your name printed alongside your argument in a document that gets mailed to every registered voter in Everett.

    Can I serve on the Pro committee if I work for the city?
    City employees and elected officials are typically excluded from these roles to keep the committees independent. The form will flag eligibility issues. If you’re unsure, the city’s communications office can clarify.

    What if I want to argue against the levy but I’m not sure I can write a 250-word legal-style statement?
    You can apply, get appointed, and work with the other committee members on drafting. The committee can include up to a small number of named members; the statement is collective.

    What’s the difference between the local Voters’ Pamphlet statement and a campaign committee?
    A campaign committee — a registered Political Action Committee (PAC) — raises money, runs ads, and reports to the Public Disclosure Commission. The Pro/Con committee under RCW 29A.32.280 is purely about writing the official statements that go into the pamphlet. You can do one, the other, or both.

    What happens if no one applies for the Con committee?
    The city has to keep trying to recruit. If a committee can’t be seated by the deadline, the pamphlet will run only the available statements, which historically benefits whichever side did organize. That’s a significant reason civic groups pay attention to these deadlines.

    How is this levy different from the City Council’s other tax proposals?
    This one is voter-decided in August. The 2027 general fund gap involves separate options the council has been discussing, including potential annexation, joining a Regional Fire Authority, library regionalization, and another levy lid lift. The August 4 EMS levy is its own ballot question; voters can support or oppose it independent of any other future measure.

    If I miss the April 27 deadline, is there any other way to write into the official pamphlet?
    Not for this measure cycle. The voter pamphlet statements are limited to the formally appointed Pro and Con committees. You can still write to the local newspapers, write to the council, or organize a campaign committee — but the words printed in the pamphlet next to the ballot title come from the committees only.

    The bottom line for Everett

    The August 4 EMS levy is going to the voters with or without volunteer committees. But the words those voters read in their official pamphlet are about to be written by a small number of Everett residents who decide, in the next 24 hours, to put their name on the page. If you have a position — for or against — the path to having that position printed in every Everett ballot envelope is open until 11:59 p.m. Monday.

    Sources

  • Everett Stadium Vote: $10.6M for AquaSox & USL Soccer

    Everett Stadium Vote: $10.6M for AquaSox & USL Soccer

    What’s at stake: On Wednesday, April 29 at 12:30 PM, Everett City Council will vote on whether to approve another $10.6 million for the downtown Outdoor Event Center — the future home of the AquaSox and two new United Soccer League teams (men’s and women’s). The vote covers $5.6M for property acquisition and $4.8M in contractor amendments. If approved, design hits 100% complete and the path opens toward a possible August project go-ahead vote, ground-breaking in September, and a late-2027 opening. If it doesn’t pass cleanly, the timeline starts to wobble.

    If you care about the AquaSox staying in Everett — and the city’s two incoming USL professional soccer teams actually having a place to play — Wednesday afternoon’s council vote matters more than any single game on the schedule this spring.

    Everett City Council is set to vote April 29 on a package of four items tied to the future Outdoor Event Center: an additional $10.6 million in spending, contract amendments with four project contractors worth $4.8 million, acceptance of a $7.4 million state Department of Commerce grant, and the addition of one more land parcel to the project’s acquisition list.

    The fan-perspective version of all that procedural language: Everett is one council vote away from finishing the design phase of a stadium that determines whether minor-league baseball stays here and whether professional soccer ever gets here at all.

    What the $10.6 Million Actually Buys

    The breakdown, per City of Everett project documents and reporting from the Snohomish County Tribune and HeraldNet:

    About $5.6 million is allocated to the costs of acquiring the properties needed to clear the stadium block — bounded by Hewitt Avenue, Pacific Avenue, Broadway, and the railroad tracks, one block east of Angel of the Winds Arena.

    About $4.8 million is for contract amendments with the four firms working on stadium design and pre-construction.

    The funding mechanism is an interfund loan — Everett borrows the money from its own general fund balance, then issues municipal bond debt to repay the loan. Long-term bonds backed against city tax revenues handle repayment. This is a way to move quickly on cash flow without holding up design while waiting for outside grants and bond markets.

    Counting earlier spending, the city has already invested about $7.2 million in capital funds into the project since site selection in late 2024. That money has gone toward environmental studies, conceptual design, and putting properties under purchase-and-sale agreements.

    The Real Number You Should Know

    The total project cost is now estimated at $120 million, up from the $82 million estimate the city used when it asked for $4.8 million in funding back in June 2025.

    The funding stack so far: roughly $17 million committed by the AquaSox and incoming USL ownership groups in exchange for 30-year leases (with operations and maintenance handled on-site and ticket and parking revenue shared with the city); $30+ million from other bonds repaid through lease and ticket revenue; and roughly 21% of the funding pie that, as of last week’s council presentation, is not yet identified.

    That 21% gap is the one to watch. City project staff said they intend to return to council in summer with more financial models, with possible sources including state, regional, and private dollars. “We are pursuing all possible options,” the project representative told the council.

    Why This Matters for the AquaSox

    Major League Baseball changed minor-league facility requirements in 2021. Funko Field, which has been the AquaSox’s home for decades, doesn’t meet the new standards. If Everett doesn’t build a compliant stadium, the AquaSox lose their MLB affiliation. They go away. The economic, cultural, and identity hit to the city would be real.

    Mayor Cassie Franklin has called the project a “once-in-a-generation opportunity” prompted by the league’s facility-standard changes. She framed Everett’s decision to put the stadium downtown — in late 2024 — as the city already making “tangible progress.” Wednesday’s vote keeps that progress moving.

    Why This Matters for USL Soccer

    The Outdoor Event Center is being designed as a true dual-purpose venue: artificial turf, the ability to convert the field between baseball and soccer in the span of a few hours, soccer played on the diamond’s infield, and a retractable mound. The plan calls for hosting two USL teams — a men’s team in either USL Championship or USL League One, and a women’s team in the USL Super League.

    This is why we don’t yet have team names, colors, kits, or a confirmed league level. Without an approved stadium plan, USL won’t finalize franchise placement. Without USL franchise placement, the city can’t fully market what the soccer side will look like. Wednesday’s vote moves the design from 60% complete (where it sits today) to 100% — and that opens the door for the August funding decision and the broader project go-ahead.

    The USL teams won’t be playing in 2026. The current target is a late-2027 opening, which means a 2028 inaugural season at the earliest. But every step on the design timeline is a step closer to seeing professional soccer in Everett.

    The Take

    This stadium project has been criticized — fairly — for cost growth. $82 million in June 2025 to $120 million today is a real escalation, and the 21% unidentified funding share is a legitimate concern.

    But the alternative — losing the AquaSox, losing the chance at USL, leaving the downtown stadium block as a parking lot — is worse. The downtown location is a significantly better long-term play than rebuilding at the existing Funko Field site. The dual-purpose design that makes baseball and soccer both work in one venue is genuinely innovative for a city Everett’s size. And the public-park amenities and walking loop in the design plan turn what could be a single-use box into a downtown asset that serves the city year-round.

    The April 29 vote isn’t the final yes. It’s the vote that lets the project finish its homework before the bigger August decision on the full project. If Everett wants to be a city where minor-league baseball thrives, professional soccer arrives, and the downtown stadium becomes the anchor of a real entertainment district next to Angel of the Winds Arena — Wednesday afternoon matters.

    How to Weigh In

    The City Council meeting is Wednesday, April 29 at 12:30 PM at 3002 Wetmore Avenue. Public comment is part of the council process for items like this. If you have a take — for or against — that’s the room and that’s the meeting where it lands.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    What is the Everett Outdoor Event Center?
    A planned 5,000-seat dual-purpose stadium in downtown Everett that will host the AquaSox baseball team and two new United Soccer League teams (one men’s, one women’s). It also includes an urban park and walking loop.

    When is the city council vote on the additional funding?
    Wednesday, April 29, 2026 at 12:30 PM at Everett City Hall (3002 Wetmore Avenue). The council will vote on four items tied to the project.

    How much will the stadium cost in total?
    The current total project cost estimate is $120 million, up from $82 million in June 2025. Property acquisition and business relocation alone is estimated at $35 million.

    When will the stadium open?
    The current project timeline targets construction starting in September 2026 and the stadium opening in late 2027, with a 2028 inaugural USL season at the earliest.

    Will the AquaSox leave Everett if the stadium isn’t built?
    Funko Field doesn’t meet the post-2021 MLB facility standards for affiliated minor-league teams. Without a compliant stadium, the AquaSox would lose their MLB affiliation and likely leave the city.

    What USL teams are coming to Everett?
    The city has agreements in place to host two USL teams — one men’s professional team and one women’s professional team. Specific league level (Championship vs League One for the men, Super League for the women), team names, colors, and ownership branding have not been publicly finalized pending stadium approval.

    Where will the stadium be located?
    On the block bounded by Hewitt Avenue, Pacific Avenue, Broadway, and the railroad tracks — one block east of Angel of the Winds Arena in downtown Everett. The city is acquiring 15 properties on that block to clear the site.

    Who pays for the stadium?
    A combination of city interfund loans repaid by long-term municipal bonds, $17 million committed by the AquaSox and USL teams (in exchange for 30-year leases), state Department of Commerce grants ($7.4 million pending council acceptance), and approximately $25 million still to be identified by July.

  • 2026 Charter Review: Everett & Snohomish Voter Guide

    2026 Charter Review: Everett & Snohomish Voter Guide

    Quick Answer: In 2026, both the City of Everett and Snohomish County are running active charter review processes — parallel, independent efforts that could reshape how local government works in the Everett area for the next decade. Charter reviews are the mechanism by which the foundational documents of local government get examined and, where voters approve, amended. The Everett review is looking at city council structure, mayoral authority, and citizen engagement processes. The county review is examining county council districts, the executive role, and the charter’s civil rights language. Both processes will produce ballot items that Everett-area voters will decide on in 2026 and 2027.

    What a Charter Is and Why It Matters

    A local government charter is the constitutional document for a city or county — the top-level rulebook that defines how the government is structured, what powers the council and executive have, and how citizens can petition, vote on, and change policy. The City of Everett operates under a charter adopted by voters and amended periodically. Snohomish County is one of only a handful of Washington counties that operates under a home-rule charter rather than the default county commission structure, which means voters there have direct authority to reshape county government in ways that voters in most Washington counties don’t.

    Charter reviews happen on a schedule set by each charter. The City of Everett’s charter calls for periodic review by a commission of appointed or elected residents whose job is to study the current charter, hold public hearings, and recommend amendments for the ballot. Snohomish County’s charter similarly provides for periodic review. In 2026, both review processes are running concurrently — a rare alignment that means Everett-area voters could see charter-related ballot items from both jurisdictions in the same election cycle.

    The City of Everett Charter Review in 2026

    The City of Everett’s 2026 charter review commission is actively working through the city’s charter section by section. The issues most frequently discussed in public sessions include the structure of city council representation (districts versus at-large, and the size of the council), the relationship between the mayor and the city council, the process by which citizens can propose ballot measures, and the charter’s language around open meetings and public records. These are foundational questions: the outcomes could determine whether Everett continues with its current strong-mayor structure, whether council districts are redrawn, and whether new citizen engagement mechanisms are added.

    Practical impact for Everett residents depends on which recommendations make it to the ballot and which voters approve. A charter amendment that restructures council districts could change which council member represents a given neighborhood. An amendment expanding citizen initiative rights could make it easier for residents to put policy questions directly to voters. An amendment changing mayoral authority could reshape how big-ticket decisions like the Everett Transit merger, waterfront development, and public safety policy get made. Residents who want to shape these outcomes should track charter commission meeting agendas and public hearings — both are the primary public input channels before recommendations go to the ballot.

    The Snohomish County Charter Review in 2026

    Snohomish County’s 2026 charter review ran in parallel at the county level. The elected Charter Review Commission was seated after the November 2025 election, held public sessions across the county (including Everett, Lynnwood, Edmonds, and Arlington), and in spring 2026 considered a wide working list — districts, the executive’s role, civil-rights language, contracting, and more. What actually reached the November 3, 2026 ballot is narrower: five county charter propositions (Props 1–5). For the current ballot guide — what each proposition does and what it means for Everett voters and businesses — see Snohomish County Charter Review: November 2026 Ballot Guide.

    For Everett residents specifically, the county charter review matters because Snohomish County delivers services that overlap directly with city life: the Sheriff’s Office provides patrol services in unincorporated areas just outside Everett and contracts for regional services inside Everett; the county court system handles felonies, family law, and civil cases for Everett residents; and county-wide programs like the Assessor’s Office, Public Health, and the Elections Division touch every Everett household. Amendments to the county charter can change the terms of any of those relationships.

    Where the Two Reviews Overlap and Where They Don’t

    The city and county charter reviews are legally independent — neither has authority over the other, and the ballot items they produce will be voted on separately. But the practical effects overlap in important ways. Both reviews are examining citizen engagement mechanisms, so amendments from either or both could change how residents interact with local government. Both are examining district boundaries, so residents could see changes to the geographic units that define their council and commission representation. And both are happening in a political environment where trust in local government, housing policy, public safety, and civil rights are active debates — meaning the charter questions are being asked against a backdrop of real policy stakes.

    Where they diverge: the city charter review is focused on Everett-specific governance questions and its outcomes affect only Everett residents. The county charter review’s outcomes affect all 800,000+ Snohomish County residents. That asymmetry matters for turnout and for which issues get the most attention at public hearings.

    How Residents Participate

    Both charter review processes ran on public input through 2026: commission meetings, written comments, public hearings, and neighborhood sessions. For the county review, the May 2026 hearing series and the May 29 commission vote are finished; the live decision for county voters is now the November 3 ballot (see the Props 1–5 ballot guide). City charter review follows its own calendar — check the city’s roster and agendas. Residents who want to shape outcomes should still vote on whatever charter items reach their ballot and, after Election Day, watch implementation of anything that passes.

    The Timeline: When Ballot Items Appear

    County charter amendments from the 2026 review are on the November 3, 2026 general-election ballot as Propositions 1–5 — details in our Snohomish County November 2026 ballot guide. The City of Everett’s charter review produces separate ballot items on its own schedule; check city election materials for what reaches Everett voters. Snohomish County Elections publishes final ballot composition for each cycle in advance of the election.

    How Civic Watchers Can Dig Deeper

    Beyond reading the ballot guides, residents who want to organize comments or track both commissions can use the same habits civic watchers use: follow both commission calendars, coordinate with local groups, write specific comments, and stay engaged through implementation after Election Day.

    The Coalition Landscape

    Several local civic organizations are actively engaged with one or both reviews. The League of Women Voters of Snohomish County typically publishes educational materials on charter amendments and hosts candidate and issue forums. Local neighborhood associations — including associations in Northwest Everett, Bayside, and the Port Gardner neighborhood — have in past charter cycles submitted joint comments on issues affecting their areas. Watchers who want to amplify their individual voice should consider joining or coordinating with one of these organizations. Coordinated comments from multiple residents on the same issue carry materially more weight than isolated individual submissions.

    Writing Effective Public Comment

    Public comment on charter review items is most effective when it is specific, references particular charter sections, and ties the recommendation to a concrete outcome. Comments that say “I support reform” are less useful to commissioners than comments that say “I support amending Section X to require Y, because it would produce Z outcome in my neighborhood.” Comments can be submitted in writing before meetings and delivered orally at public hearings. Both channels are part of the record. For civic watchers planning to submit comments on multiple items, a clean spreadsheet tracking which commission, which section, which hearing, and which outcome you support is a practical organizing tool.

    After the Ballot: The Implementation Phase

    Charter amendments that pass don’t take effect instantly. Each amendment has an implementation timeline specified in the ballot language or derived from state law — some take effect at the next election cycle, some require enabling ordinances from the council, and some require procedural changes at the Snohomish County Elections office. Watchers who engaged with the amendment campaign should plan to engage with implementation — that’s typically where the hardest details get settled, and where civic attention often drops just when it matters most.

    Frequently Asked Questions About the 2026 Charter Reviews

    Are the city and county charter reviews the same process?

    No. They are independent. The City of Everett’s review examines the city charter. The Snohomish County review examines the county charter. They happen to be running concurrently in 2026, but they produce separate ballot items and are decided by voters separately.

    Can charter reviews change everything about local government?

    In theory, yes, within state and federal law. In practice, charter reviews produce amendments — not full replacements. Voters decide each amendment separately.

    How do I know who my charter review commissioners are?

    The City of Everett publishes its charter review commission roster on the city website. Snohomish County does the same. Both include contact information for commissioners.

    What happens if I don’t vote on charter items?

    Charter amendments require majority voter approval to pass. If you don’t vote, you don’t shape the outcome, but the amendments don’t fail automatically — they pass or fail based on votes cast.

    Do these reviews affect Everett Transit, the waterfront, or other current issues?

    Indirectly, yes. Charter amendments can change how the city council and mayor make decisions on these items, which can affect outcomes. They don’t directly legislate on transit or waterfront policy, but they shape the rules under which those decisions are made.

    Related Coverage From Tygart Media’s Exploring Everett Series

  • Everett Charter Review: How to Shape the 2026 Ballot

    Everett Charter Review: How to Shape the 2026 Ballot

    What is Everett’s charter review, and why does it matter?
    Everett’s charter is the city’s constitution — the document that lays out how the mayor, council, and city departments work. Every decade, a 15-person volunteer committee reviews it and can send changes to the November ballot, where voters have the final say. The 2026 Charter Review Committee held its most recent public hearing on April 18 and is gathering resident input now. Any amendments Everett voters approve in November 2026 would reshape the city’s governance for the next ten years.

    Most Everett residents have never read the city’s charter. That is not unusual — most cities’ charters sit in municipal code and rarely come up in everyday conversation. But the charter is the document that decides who can be mayor, how many council members there are, whether they run by district or at-large, when residents vote on levies, and how the city manages its own finances.

    And every ten years, Everett gives voters a chance to change it.

    That process is happening right now. The 2026 Charter Review Committee — 15 volunteer residents appointed by the mayor and city council — has been meeting since earlier this year to review the charter, take public testimony, and draft recommended changes. The committee held a public hearing on April 18 at Walter E. Hall Park. Any amendments the committee recommends will need a council vote to reach the ballot, and then a majority of Everett voters to take effect.

    What the charter actually controls

    The charter is not the same as the municipal code. The municipal code is the big book of day-to-day rules — zoning, parking, noise ordinances. The charter is smaller and more structural. It answers questions like:

    • Is Everett a strong-mayor city or a council-manager city?
    • How many council members sit on the council?
    • Do they represent districts, the whole city, or both?
    • What are the term lengths for mayor and council?
    • How does the city handle its own initiative and referendum process?
    • What boards and commissions must exist?

    The last time Everett reviewed its charter was 2016. The biggest structural change residents have seen since then came from a separate voter decision in November 2018, when Everett switched from an all-at-large council to a mix of five district seats plus two at-large seats. That change did not come from a charter review — it came from an earlier ballot measure — but it is exactly the kind of question a charter review would take up.

    How the 2026 committee was put together

    Applications to serve on the committee closed in December 2025. In January 2026, the mayor and city council together designated 14 members. A 15th seat is chosen by the committee itself after it first convenes. Members are unpaid volunteers who commit to months of meetings.

    The committee works through two phases. First, members review each section of the current charter and flag potential changes. Second, they take public input, draft final recommendations, and vote on each one. An amendment only moves forward if a majority of committee members vote for it. The recommendation then goes to the Everett City Council, which can either send it to the ballot or decline.

    Only voters approve the final change. The council cannot amend the charter on its own.

    What the April 18 public hearing was for

    The hearing at Walter E. Hall Park on April 18 ran from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. in the Olympic View Room. The format was a standard public comment hearing: residents sign up, the committee listens, comments become part of the official record. The committee had already scheduled an earlier hearing in late March at the Evergreen Branch of the Everett Public Library, 9512 Evergreen Way, to make sure residents in both halves of the city had a chance to speak.

    Public hearings are the most visible part of the process, but they are not the only way to submit input. The committee has also accepted written comments electronically. The city posts committee meeting agendas and minutes on the Agenda Center at everettwa.gov/AgendaCenter, and the Charter Review Committee has its own landing page at everettwa.gov/630/Charter-Review-Committee.

    What happens between now and November

    The timeline is tight. For amendments to reach the November 3, 2026 general election ballot, the committee has to finish its work, the council has to schedule and hold its own public hearings, and the county auditor’s office has to receive the ballot text on time. That typically means the committee’s final recommendations need to land with council through midsummer 2026, with council action targeted for August or early September 2026. Confirm status on the city Charter Review Committee page.

    Residents who missed the April 18 hearing could still weigh in while the committee process was open. Check the Charter Review Committee page for current meeting and ballot status. The city accepts written comments through the Charter Review Committee page. Once the committee finalizes recommendations, the council’s hearings will be separate opportunities for public testimony — another round of chances for residents to speak before the ballot is set.

    Why Everett residents should pay attention

    Charter amendments are the rare civic decision that the city council cannot make alone. Most ordinances — last month’s fair labor rules, the utility tax debate, the 2026 budget — move through council votes without ever reaching voters directly. The charter is different. Residents decide.

    That means what shows up on the November ballot is shaped by who bothers to testify right now. If a resident wants the mayor’s term shortened, the council expanded, initiative signature thresholds lowered, or a new board created to oversee a specific city function, the Charter Review Committee is the body that can put that on the ballot. If no one raises it during this window, it does not make the 2026 ballot — and the next chance is 2036.

    For a city the size of Everett — population roughly 115,000 and still growing — a decade is a long time to wait. The city that votes on this charter in November will be a different city by 2036. Boeing’s 737 North Line will be at full production. Sound Transit’s Link light rail is projected to reach Paine Field around 2037. The Millwright District and the downtown stadium will be built out. The charter that residents send forward this year will govern how Everett’s institutions respond to all of it.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    When was Everett’s charter last reviewed?

    The last Charter Review Committee met in 2016. Everett typically reviews its charter about once every ten years.

    Who is on the 2026 Charter Review Committee?

    The committee has 15 members. The mayor and city council designated 14 of them in January 2026 from an applicant pool. The 15th seat was chosen by the committee itself at its first meeting. Members are unpaid volunteers serving a one-time term tied to this review cycle.

    Do voters get the final say on charter changes?

    Yes. The committee recommends changes. The council can put those changes on the ballot. Only Everett voters can actually amend the charter, by majority vote in the November 2026 general election.

    How can residents submit input now?

    The committee accepts public testimony at its scheduled hearings and also accepts written comments. The Charter Review Committee page at everettwa.gov/630/Charter-Review-Committee has the most current contact information, meeting schedule, and links to submit comments electronically.

    Is Everett’s charter review the same as Snohomish County’s?

    No. Snohomish County has its own Charter Review Commission with its own elected commissioners, reviewing the county charter. That body is separate from Everett’s city committee and considers different proposals — including, this cycle, whether county executive and council seats should be nonpartisan. Everett voters will see both sets of questions on the November ballot if both bodies send recommendations forward.

    When is the next chance to amend the charter after 2026?

    Not until the next decennial review, which would be expected around 2036. Individual council members can theoretically propose charter amendments outside of a review cycle, but the organized, public, committee-driven review only happens about once a decade.

    Deeper Coverage in the Exploring Everett Series

    For a more comprehensive treatment of the issues raised in this article, see: