By Mike Dunn

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The rhetoric is rising in City Council in the debate over whether to overhaul Philadelphia’s property tax structure in a way that gives the School District an extra $94 million.

At the close of this past week’s Council session, several lawmakers weighed in with speeches on the property tax/school funding dilemma. Councilman Bill Green rejected the mayor’s stance that the tax overhaul and school funding are linked.

“They are two issues before us. They are completely separate issues. One is school funding, and I’ll be happy to be counted in that regard. The other is whether or not it’s responsible or not to go to AVI,” Green says.

Councilman Curtis Jones shot back by saying only one thing matters — the students of the Philadelphia School District.

“They are not poker chips. They are not the high risk gambling of Wall Street. They are our future!”

Jones also said it’s time for Council to “man up” on the school funding, and Green responded that he will man up — on both separate matters.