It was a day of good news for the city of Moose Jaw at city council Monday, but Coun. Brian Swanson found some concern with the numbers in one of the city's quarterly reports.

Swanson brought up the tax arrears being much higher that they were five years ago, leading to a verbal exchange with Mayor Fraser Tolmie. Swanson said there are no shortage of politicians who will tell you things are going well.

“But it’s pretty thin gruel when you look at the statistical reality,” Swanson said. “And maybe it’s something we just ignore until it becomes overwhelming, but I think we have to realize the property tax burden in the city is just not being met.”

Swanson found a verbal sparring partner in Tolmie.

“You can either continue to perpetuate that statistic, or you can do things like what we’ve done today, which is approve the largest land deal in the city Moose Jaw’s history,” said Tolmie. “To create jobs and spread the tax base.”

Tolmie said Swanson had no plan to change anything, and that he is trying to create economic growth and diversity.

“At budget time, I actually produced a number of motions in an attempt to deal with the issue,” Swanson responded. “I guess Mayor Tolmie thinks it’s within his fiefdom to chastise me. But all I’m doing is pointing out a statistical reality that I think we’re ignoring. And it has serious implications for the city of Moose Jaw.”

Swanson said he’s listened to an “unending stream of people” telling him how positive everything is, but it’s easy to say that.

“No, no it’s not easy to say that,” Tolmie said.

Tolmie said it's taken courage to change on the path the city had been on, and that nothing Swanson brought forward at budget time would have worked as a catalyst.

“Nothing. The DFFH, the numbers, you never spent any money,” Tolmie said. “That’s supposed to be an economic driver for this community, to bring concerts, to fill restaurants, to fill hotels, just like the Air Show is. You don’t have a business plan and this council has one.”

Swanson called a point of order and said that he didn’t have to listen to Tolmie give him a lecture. Tolmie said they are there to debate, but his comments at that point were finished.