``Tagging is just vandalism. This isn't graffiti.''
Mr Kircher was so disgusted by the defacing of properties in Itchen and Severn Sts he opened up his mayoral fund to pay a reward for information leading to the identification of the person responsible.
Mr Kircher offered $250 and the reward swelled to $700 after members of the public joined the campaign.
He said he opened up the fund because it sent a statement to both the community and the tagger.
``It's something that will encourage someone to come forward and help identify who's causing the problem.''
``We want a community that looks after each other and this is about driving that home.''
He said the red spray paint scrawls left at the weekend would cost the public hundreds of dollars to clean up and that was another cost no-one needed.
Several people came forward with information he had passed on to the Oamaru police, the mayor said.
``We spend a lot of ratepayers' money making sure the district looks nice and it costs a lot - and this [tagging] costs a lot.''
He said the North Otago town did not want to tolerate vandalism.
``People have a right to be angry about this. It's damaging their property.''
