The property assessment for a tiny piece of property on King Street in Saint John that's home to the city clock has skyrocketed, going up by a whopping 1,300 per cent.

The clock sits on only a few metres of sidewalk, but it has its own property identification number and its own tax bill.

While it stood there all of last year, it was assessed then at just $100. That bill amounted to $2.21. This year, the bill will be $30 because the land is now assessed at $1,400.

Although the numbers are still small, some people wonder why it is taxed at all.

"That's amazing. It’s got a property tax bill?” resident Kathy Gautreau said. “He pays property tax to have that clock there? …That's ridiculous.”

The clock was unveiled in May of 2010, the 225th anniversary of the founding of the city, a gift from Commercial Properties president John F. Irving.

Irving's company owns and maintains the clock, but leases the land from the city for $1 per year. The $30 dollar tax bill goes to city hall. Assuming it is paid in full, the city gets back just over $16.50 once the province takes its cut.

Passerby Aliesha Hunt agreed it seems silly to tax the clock.

"I think it's a nice clock, I mean, it's a beautiful piece. It adds to the uptown area. I don't know if we need to pay $30 a year and if it needs to have its own address," she said. "That kind of seems a little silly."