KAILUA, KONA, Hawai'i — This venerable town's older buildings are in disrepair and its public areas are run-down. Vagrants frequently pester pedestrians, offering drugs and insults.

One thing is clear: Kailua, Kona, is in need of some tender loving care. But who should pay for it and how it gets done are not yet so apparent.

The Big Island's first neighborhood revitalization effort is slowly evolving, with leaders hoping to emulate the success of two O'ahu campaigns to clean up Waikiki and Honolulu's Fort Street Mall.

"We see it as a community in decline and a village that needs to be rescued," said Debbie Baker, executive director of the nonprofit spearheading the business improvement district venture. "We really want to protect the village as a vibrant core."

Baker said Kailua, Kona, business owners and residents are frustrated by drug activity and the troubles it often spawns, such as property crime, violence, homelessness and trash.

Employees tell of harassment or physical attacks when leaving restaurants at the end of the evening and walking to their cars, which often are broken into, vandalized or stripped.

Concierges at Kohala Coast luxury hotels, 25 miles north of the village, tell guests not to bother visiting as it is unclean, unsafe and uninviting.

Real estate agent Gretchen Lambeth said she often locks her office door when working alone, but is not ready to give up on her version of paradise.

"I could live anywhere in the world if I wanted. Anywhere. But I choose Kona," she said. "Now I don't come down here on the weekend anymore. It's just not safe."

Residents say they're determined to restore the village's image as a favorite vacation spot for Hawai'i's ancient royalty and a must-see on any visitor's agenda.

Baker's nonprofit organization, Kailua Village Business Improvement District, wants the Hawai'i County Council to pass a measure authorizing the group to charge downtown property owners a fee that would pay for increased security, landscaping and other cleanup efforts.

The county would collect the fee on behalf of the group by tacking it onto local property tax bills. A typical condo owner could pay about $200 a year if the measure is approved.

At a public hearing before the county council last week, numerous condo residents said they supported the idea but weren't satisfied with the assessment formula or were not convinced they would benefit.

Bruce Brooks, a homeowner, said he believed the fee would place an unfair burden on residents who would not be adequately represented on the non-profit's board of directors.

Other residents claimed they already contribute to private security patrols and actively keep their own areas free of drug dealers and vagrants.

David Schmitt, a condo resident, said the services the business improvement district would provide — security, cleaning, landscaping and marketing — should be covered by existing property taxes and county employees.

"Pressure should be on the police department to increase services," he said. "We should get our fair share."

The area targeted by the improvement district includes Ali'i Drive, the commercial heart of the entire region. A secondary zone includes outlying businesses and condominium complexes along the village's three gateways, or most heavily trafficked roadways.

The seaside town hosts world-renowned annual events like the Ironman World Championship triathlon and the Hawaiian International Billfish Tournament. It welcomes more than 100,000 total visitors each month.

The Kailua, Kona, effort aims to follow the example set by the Waikiki Business Improvement District.

Approved by the Honolulu City Council in 2000, the Waikiki group built a police substation and cracked down on prostitution and street performers. It also redesigned the entry points to the district to make them more attractive. Investment by Outrigger Resorts and Donald Trump followed.

Community leaders adopted a similar approach at Fort Street Mall in Downtown in 2002.

The Hawai'i County Council is likely to give the revitalization plan the go-ahead. The proposal's first reading passed unanimously in March.

But County Councilman Angel Pilago, who represents the Kona district, said he would see that the measure is fine-tuned to make sure it is fair and equitable.

"This is an important and historic undertaking for Hawai'i Island and especially for West Hawai'i," Pilago said after the hearing. "We have to seize this opportunity."