This past Monday's Council meeting had a full agenda and throughout the meeting a few feathers were ruffled. 

Councillor Brian Swanson shared with the room how he was displeased following the approval of a large increase to the price we pay for garbage collection in Moose Jaw. 

During the budget process it was determined that the cost would be set at $7.25 a month; now after the most recent Council meeting, residents will be paying $9.77 each month. This was something that Councillor Swanson did not agree with. 

"If I had proposed costs for the garbage collection and curbside recycling I come up with about $2.3 million a year, we're into about month 17 of what I call 'Garbage Gate' and one thing that keeps coming is the cost keeps going up," explained Swanson.

"Now we've gotten so fancy, we're up to $2.3 million, almost quadrupling the costs. In a time when we need to be diverting all of the resources we can into our water lines and our roads. Quadrupling the costs of our garbage astounds me really, I (think) it kind of speaks to the issues we have overall."

City Engineer, Josh Mickleborough said it's a direct result of cancelling the full bi-weekly, curbside garbage program that would have saved the city money. He added that one of the first issues they noticed was moving bins in and out of back lanes.

The increase will also cover the cost of meeting provincial landfill regulations and increased salaries through a new contract.