Cincinnati City Council on July 28, approved a motion directing staff to draft an ordinance that would stop the city from automatically billing property owners who are repeatedly hit by graffiti vandals.
The Graffiti Victim Amnesty Program, proposed by Council Member Mark Jeffreys, would give the Department of Buildings and Inspections discretion to work with repeat victims rather than fining them for failing to remove graffiti within 30 days. The proposal is modeled on Cincinnati's existing illegal dumping and litter amnesty program, according to council records.
The policy applies citywide.
What changes for property owners
Under the city's current rules, adopted in May 2024, private property owners must remove graffiti within 30 days of receiving a violation notice. If they don't, the city hires a contractor and bills the owner or places a lien on the property. Before that 2024 change, the Department of Public Services removed graffiti from both public and private property.
The amnesty program would not eliminate the owner's cleanup responsibility. Instead, it would allow city staff to offer repeat victims more time, help coordinate solutions like security cameras or fencing, and avoid penalizing owners who are actively trying to address the problem. It would not apply to absentee landlords or neglected properties.
Jeffreys told Local 12 on July 28, that one property owner along Interstate 75 faces roughly $18,000 in cleanup costs every time his building is tagged.
"He cleans it up, and then it's tagged again," Jeffreys said. "And it's costing about $18,000 every time in order to clean it. So he reached out and said, 'Hey, this doesn't seem fair that we're the ones who have to pay this every time.'"
Broader enforcement plan
The amnesty program is one piece of a three-part approach. Jeffreys said the administration will also draft an ordinance requiring people convicted of graffiti crimes to perform community service by scrubbing graffiti. The Cincinnati Police Department would pilot new enforcement techniques, including surveillance cameras and drones, and report back on what works.
Jeffreys also wants the city to explore faster removal timelines. Many cities aim to remove graffiti within about 72 hours to discourage repeat tagging, compared to Cincinnati's current 30-day window for property owners, he said.
Background and next steps
The motion first went to the Public Safety & Quality of Life Committee on Wednesday, June 10, and was adopted by that committee on June 16. Full council approved it on July 28, clearing the way for staff to begin drafting the ordinance.
Jeffreys told WCPO's I-Team in June that he voted for the 2024 policy that shifted costs to owners but now sees it differently. "It seemed like a sensible thing to do at the time," he said. "I think when you realize something has unintended consequences, then you course correct it."
Council is expected to vote on the formal ordinance this fall. Residents can report graffiti through Cincinnati's 311 system.
