Everett mayor talks annexation, stadium at keynote speech

Published 1:30 am Friday, March 6, 2026

EVERETT — Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin delivered her ninth State of the City address on Thursday, focusing on recent growth in the city and touching on topics like public safety, possible annexation and the city’s downtown stadium project.

During the speech — Franklin’s first since being reelected to a third term last November — the mayor also made two announcements: Everett will partner with The Boys and Girls Club of Snohomish County to support the construction of a new location for the nonprofit in Walter Hall Park, and the city will also help construct a public art installation along Pacific Avenue, known as the Pacific Avenue Gateway.

Franklin opened her address by speaking about increased immigration enforcement activity in the city. Her mayoral directive on the topic, issued last week, lays out policies prohibiting federal immigration agents from accessing non-public areas of city property without a warrant, requiring Everett police to record interactions if called to the scene of immigration enforcement activity, and instructing officers to take action if they observe egregious excessive force involving federal agents, among other policies.

The directive drew a rebuttal last week on social media from Immigration and Customs Enforcement, known as ICE, which said the directive “escalates tension.”

Between 2024 and 2025, crime rates in the city decreased by 20%, Franklin said during the address. Rates of vehicle thefts dropped by 70%, she said. Franklin said police staffing levels are “at an all-time high,” and that the city had sworn in 17 police officers over the past year.

Franklin also discussed the possibility of bringing unincorporated land south of Everett into the city through annexation.

The city is going through that process as “there are neighbors who already identify as part of Everett and have Everett addresses but don’t yet benefit from the full range of city services,” Franklin said. The city is evaluating potential annexation areas carefully, she said, though the focus will be on areas near south Everett. Franklin named more precise locations during her address.

“I’m excited for the day we can officially welcome Dicks Drive-In and our Mariner Marauders into our city of Everett,” Franklin said, in reference to the hamburger stand located just outside city limits along Highway 99, as well as the nearby Mariner High School.

The Mariner area of unincorporated Snohomish County is just south of Everett city limits. The area is home to the high school, a library and a busy bus hub that will eventually become a light rail station.

Franklin, in a speech full of sports-related puns, also discussed the city’s stadium project, known as the Outdoor Event Center, a project she called a “once in a generation opportunity” and “a new economic engine.” She said the new stadium would drive tens of millions of dollars in economic activity per year.

The city is in a “pivotal phase” for the project, she said, continuing negotiations for property acquisitions and finalizing lease agreements with the Everett AquaSox and United Soccer League. She said the city is continuing the work to have the facility open next year.

The stadium has not yet been given final approval by the city council, as Everett is still developing a plan to fund the project. Its estimated cost has risen by nearly $40 million more than anticipated, documents showed, bringing the projected cost up to $120 million. The city needs to find funding to close that $38 million gap, finalize lease agreements and negotiate the purchase of the property at the stadium site before the council could approve it.

In south Everett, the city plans to work with Voyager Middle School students and the nonprofit Bunker Arts Collective to create a youth-led mural project along 4th Avenue West, Franklin said. She said the city is also advancing the South Everett Economic Development strategy it created in 2025 to boost small businesses and “ensure growth benefits the people who already call this area home,” Franklin said.

Franklin also said organizations like Stations Unidos would help center community leadership as Sound Transit’s Link light rail is set to arrive in the Casino Road neighborhood by 2041, a multi-billion-dollar investment that could bring displacement pressure.

Other topics Franklin highlighted included the city’s response to the historic flooding in December 2025. She thanked the city’s public works department and the staff at the animal shelter, which was forced to evacuate due to flooding. Community members fostered over 120 animals in less than 24 hours, some of which found permanent homes as a result.

She also touched on infrastructure projects, including the Edgewater Bridge, a critical connection between Mukilteo and Everett that was in need of a complete replacement, but has been beset by multiple delays. The bridge is expected to reopen in April.

Franklin also mentioned the coming arrival of Link light rail, and said she would use her position on the board of the regional transit agency to “fiercely advocate to bring light rail here as soon as possible.”

The city has seen lots of growth over the past year, Franklin said, with more housing being built, more business licenses being issued and a growing port district helping economic development. She said that growth is creating opportunities, but the city remains in a challenging financial situation. City finance staff have predicted the need to close a $14 million deficit in the city’s general fund for the 2027 budget, a gap larger than the $12.6 million deficit in 2024 that forced deep cuts — including 31 layoffs — to balance the budget.

“We’ve already tightened our belts multiple times. We’ve found efficiencies and built new partnerships. But we cannot cut our way to a sustainable future,” Franklin said. “To maintain our momentum, we need continued economic growth and new pathways to long-term, sustainable revenue.”

Possible ways to find that new revenue could include going to the voters to regionalize the city’s fire or library services, or approval of a property tax levy lid lift.

Franklin also discussed park improvements completed over the past year and the upcoming World Cup Fan Zone, set to be hosted along the city’s waterfront.

Everett-born Super Bowl champion Abe Lucas, who plays offensive tackle for the Seattle Seahawks, spoke before the mayor’s keynote speech.

“I will be looking forward to seeing what you all accomplish for this community and this city,” Lucas told the crowd. “There will be challenges, there will be adversity, and there’s no avoiding that. But challenges and adversity inspire growth when attacked head-on, with no excuses.”

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.