A Santa Clarita mom hoping to see the Hometown Heroes banners up year-round is looking to ask City Council about the potential.

Kerri Spurlin, whose son is currently deployed in the U.S. Coast Guard and featured on a banner, said she was grateful for the support, and enjoys saying a little prayer for all of the members of the military when she sees a banner hanging around town.

However, when she posted on Facebook about keeping the banners up year-round, and saw the post shared numerous times with dozens of reactions, she realized there might be a wider interest.

“I don’t know if our City Council knows how many people in our community want them hung (year-round) because I don’t know that anyone has told them,” Spurlin said, “so I’m trying to be that voice.”

The program, which first started in time for Memorial Day 2016, raises the banners three times a year under the current plan.

For Memorial Day, the banner and an accompanying American Flag for all participants, go up May 22, and then are taken down June 12. Existing banners stay up for the 4th of July, but any new banners would go up June 12, and then then come down July 17. For Veterans Day, the banners go up once again on October 30, and then come down November 20.

The banners cost $417.50 for participants, with city of Santa Clarita officials subsidizing about one-quarter of the cost for all banners, so the price comes to about $317. The following year, a renewal would be about $232, according to the city website.

However, Santa Clarita City Councilman Bob Kellar, who’s also a former Green Beret, said Monday he would make sure any family that wanted a banner up for their loved one would be able to afford it. Kellar was mayor last year when the program was first brought to City Council.

He also said he was open to discuss any suggestions or changes regarding the program with residents, while addressing some of the reasons for a temporary hanging of the banners, as opposed to leaving them up year-round.

“They really get tired and start coming apart (after hanging a while),” Kellar said, noting the ones that hang year-round in Burbank do show signs of wear and tear, which he wanted to avoid. The banners are given to the families as a keepsake when the pictured Hometown Hero is no longer in active service.

Also, by hanging them during select times of the year, the banners become more meaningful, he said.

“I think people have an even greater appreciation for them (when they hang) a few times a year,” he added, noting the alternating American flags around the appropriate holidays also give a special meaning for many.

“I’m open to listening to the discussion on this,” he said.

Spurlin said all the city officials she’s reached out to, including Mayor Cameron Smyth, whom she sought out on Facebook, have been receptive and supportive to the idea.

Smyth said the city is already increasing the time they’re on display in response to feedback from residents, noting the 4th of July display hasn’t been taken down yet. They were scheduled to come down last week.

He also noted that in this year’s budget, there’s a $5,000 provision to sponsor any families who’d like to see a Hometown Hero banner but might not be able to afford it.

Santa Clarita is one of many cities with such a program.

Huntington Beach charges participants $110 for fabrication, hardware and installation, but that’s as a result of a partnership with American Legion Post 133, which picks up the rest of the cost. A city official with the program said the total cost for the vinyl banners is a little over $180.

In Burbank, city officials suggest a $150 donation to hang the banners year-round. A city official with the program speaking on background noted the cost of labor for hanging the banners and then taking them down was the most significant price associated with the program. The program was looking to be revamped, and while it would likely still hang the programs year-round, it was looking at potential fundraising sources for the program.

For those interested in information about Santa Clarita’s Hometown Heroes banner, click here.

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