Philadelphia (CBS) – The latest tussle between City Council and the Nutter Administration involves leaves specifically whether the city will take care of leaf collection in the most tree-filled neighborhoods.

For years the city used big machines to vacuum up piles of leaves left at the curbs in the city’s northeast and northwest. The program fell victim to budget cuts last year and has not been restored this year, according to Deputy Streets Commissioner Carlton Williams:

“This budget crisis that we’ve been placed in has given us no alternative really than to cut back service.”

But Councilman Frank Rizzo is calling on the administration to restore the $600,000 needed for the mechanical leaf collection. He says the city may pay as much anyway:

“The water department will spend a tremendous amount of money — maybe as much as in fact it costs to clean (the leaves) up, when they all wind up in the inlet.”

In the meantime, starting Monday and for six weeks, city crews will collect leaves for composting — so long as the leaves are placed into biodegradable bags by residents.

Reported By Mike Dunn, KYW Newsradio