A report prepared by council officers for a council meeting last Monday recommended that councillors consider spending $30,000 to develop a touring production of the book - Go Away Mr Worrythoughts - subject to matching funding from donors or the state government.

But Cr Alistair Wardle upped the ante by calling on councillors to consider allocating the entire $60,000 sought by Frankston Arts Centre, without requiring any government grants, at the mid-year budget review in December.

"This is a fantastic opportunity to produce something that will put Frankston on the map for positive reasons," he said.

"The possibilities for this project are endless and I don't see there will be any financial risk as it will become self-funding."

Cr Colin Hampton said that although he supported the original recommendation, he could not sanction the council bearing the entire cost.

"We're looking at a substantial increase in rates in the next 12 months, and we're letting the government off the hook for its responsibility to children."

Author Nicky Johnston wrote the book in 2008 to support her eldest son after he was diagnosed with generalised anxiety disorder at age five.

Under the plan, the story would become a 50-minute production involving puppets and actors. It could become self-funding if, as envisaged, it tours Victoria and even nationally. Frankston Arts Centre, which proposed the scheme, would chip in $5000 towards the $65,000 development costs and work with Regional Arts Victoria to create a tour schedule.

Cr Wardle's motion to consider the project in December was passed after being opposed only by Cr Hampton and Mayor Christine Richards.