Homer’s parks, recreation and community schools programs could get a boost from a resolution that will be submitted for introduction at Monday’s city council meeting.

Council member Mike Heimbuch is working on a resolution that would ask voters if the city should dedicate one-quarter of 1 percent of its sales tax to the funding of a parks, recreation and community schools program.

Heimbuch said such an allocation could raise $350,000 for several popular programs, based on last year’s calculations, without raising taxes.

“Some think that the parks and recreation are more important than some of the other things we do,” Heimbuch said. “Especially since we have a disparity between the services we offer city residents.”

If the resolution is introduced on Monday and approved at a later meeting, an ordinance will need to be approved to determine the wording of the question that would be placed on the fall 2007 general election ballot.

If approved by the voters, the money generated by the reallocation would likely elevate the function of the Parks and Recreation Commission, Heimbuch said, and could be used to support entities such as the Homer Ice Arena and the Ohlson Mountain Rope Tow among others.

As it stands now, the Parks and Recreation Commission is advisory and maintenance of existing facilities falls under the Public Works Department.

Most of the budget goes to maintaining area campgrounds, said City Manager Walt Wrede, with little going to upgrade parks.

The city now administers the Homer Community Schools program which provides many recreational opportunities. But there are several other local nonprofits doing the same that apply for city dollars through the Homer Foundation or raise funds through bake sales, raffles and spaghetti feeds.

These nonprofits spend a lot of time working to raise enough money to cover expenses. And the parents and participants of the clubs struggle to keep up with all the fund-raisers, said Homer resident Buck Laukitis.

Laukitis is a member of several of the area’s nonprofits, coaches hockey and has two daughters on the high school cross country ski and soccer teams.

“My whole life is going from one fund-raiser to another,” he said.

The resolution Heimbuch is proposing is designed to kick off a conversation about developing a full-fledged Parks and Recreation Department, said Laukitis who has been working with Heimbuch and the commission on a plan.

With city support and a referendum from the community, money raised by the new allocation could be leveraged for state and federal dollars, he said.

The money could allow these organizations to hold bigger tournaments or events that attract visitors to Homer, Laukitis said.

“It’s not going to be a free ride and it’s not just for us,” Laukitis said. “We have world-class potential. And I think the City of Homer has matured, entered the phase to enter that conversation.”

Several questions still need to be answered however, such as what can the money be spent on, where it can be spent and what city function can get cut to pay for it, Wrede said.

But as the city continues to take on more parks and recreation responsibilities, it’s a natural progression to start looking at a Parks and Recreation Department, he said.

“It’s a good discussion to have,” Wrede said.

That discussion will continue Monday at the Homer City Council meeting.

Ben Stuart can be reached at ben.stuart@homernews.com