TROTWOOD, Ohio -- Ed Brown’s brother raked his leaves to the curb the way he always does, without realizing Trotwood has cut the leaf pick-up service.

“I don’t know why they cut it, but they have a reason I guess,” said Brown.

The reason goes back to one of 2008’s failed levies.

“If the levy last year had passed the leaf pick-up that was suspended would not have been suspended,” said Thomas Odenigbo, director of Trotwood Public Works.

The city put Issue 17 on the Nov. 2009 ballot to try and reinstate the leaf pick-up. That levy also failed.

“Even if this levy, Issue 17, had passed, it would be for leaf pick up for next year,” said Odenigbo.

That means leaf pick-up isn’t in the 2009 or 2010 budget.

Still, residents do have an option. The city made a deal with Rumpke to pick up leaves, as long as they’re in bags. Rumpke will pick up 12 bags per home, per week.

“You don’t need to get any special bag,” said Odenigbo. “Just get any bag, put these leaves there and Rumpke will pick it up.”

But for residents like Annette Henry, bagging leaves is a big job.

“I’m getting older and it’s just getting kind of hard,” said Henry.

For her, cuts like this are disheartening.

“We pay taxes for these services and it seems like it’s never enough,” said Henry. “It’s just more taxes and more taxes for people like me who no longer work.”

Odenigbo said Trotwood intends to eventually reinstate the leaf pick-up service.

“It is something that we really, really want to provide for our residents, but the funds to do this are just not there,” said Odenigbo.

While Issue 17 failed, Issue 16 did pass. That levy will enable the city to purchase more road salt and patch pot holes.

Odenigbo said he’s grateful voters passed at least one of the levies.