Jolee Tomer, 6, wants to be just like her older sister, Julia, 7, and join the Piranhas swim team at the Connell pool next summer.

That is an opportunity that their mother, Jeanne Tomer, is willing to pay more property taxes to preserve.

The city of Connell is asking voters to approve a property tax increase to pay for parks and recreation.

The revenue from the property tax levy lid increase would be used to provide a dedicated funding source for parks and recreation, instead of relying completely on general tax dollars, which also are used for services such as fire and police.

Tomer said she worries that if the measure, called Proposition No. 1 on the Nov. 8 ballot, isn't passed, the city may have to close the pool in the future.

The pool is something that Tomer's family, including her husband, Joe, and her husband's sons, Joseph, 16, and Jonathan, 13, enjoy.

If voters approve the proposal, the property tax levy for the city would increase by 40 cents. That would make the rate $2.92 per $1,000 of assessed value.

For homes valued at $135,000, the property tax would increase by $54 per year.

The proposal asks voters to approve a higher property tax levy rate that would increase total revenue the city could collect beyond the allowed 1 percent increase and revenue generated by new construction. If approved by a simple majority of the voters, the increased amount would become the base for future years.

Connell expects to receive $330,000 in property tax this year. Should the measure be approved, the city would collect about $54,000 more.

At the moment, the city isn't proposing any cuts to parks and recreation in the draft 2012 budget, said Steve Taylor, Connell city administrator. The city has received a slight bump in sales tax revenue from school construction that is expected to taper off starting in 2013.

But having the dedicated revenue will help stabilize the city's parks and recreation services for the long run and reduce chances that parks and recreation will be cut, he said.

The city's parks and pool are needed so that children have something to do in the town, said Tomer, a member of the pro-committee for the measure. With lifeguards, the pool is a safe place for children to swim during summer break.

No group submitted an opposition statement for the property tax levy lid lift, according to the Franklin County Auditor's Office.

If a simple majority of voters pass the measure, the increase would be included in the first six-month property tax payment due in April, Taylor said.