County Officials Want You To Clean Up That Graffiti

Property owners in Yakima County may soon be forced to remove graffiti or face a fine. County leaders are ready to pass an ordinance that would require homeowners to get rid of graffiti faster. And unlike other "nuisance laws," this one isn't only about trashed neighborhoods, but about public safety. County Commissioners say graffiti hot spots are often the places where rival gangs fight.  They tell our news partner KIMA Action News much of the graffiti they hope to target is around the Sunnyside area. Details of the ordinance are still being worked out, but county leaders insist they would give homeowners enough time to cleanup graffiti before they would face a fine. The law would cover any unincorporated section of Yakima County. The Commissioners hope to have the graffiti ordinance passed by this summer.