A new survey by the Canadian Federation of Independent Business shows that six out of ten small businesses do not think their municipality prioritizes the needs of small business.

This is the time of year when restaurants and other businesses are renewing their patio permits – a popular component of the annual Pedestrian Mall in downtown St. John’s.

Last year, information compiled by the CFIB showed that St. John’s charges nearly six times as much for a sidewalk patio as Toronto.

St. John’s Mayor Danny Breen says he’s not sure how the CFIB is compiling its numbers. A business owner is charged $300 every three years for a patio with additional costs according to location.

The city charges a rental fee per square foot for the use of city property – for instance, $2.50 per square foot for the use of a sidewalk. “Then you’re also charged if you’re using a parking spot that you’re not building on, then it’s $25.00 a square foot and if it’s built on, then it’s $27.50 a square foot.”

Breen says the reason why businesses are charged for parking spaces, even if they’re not being used because of the pedestrian mall, is to make up for revenue lost.

“We forego about $97,000 annually in parking fees during the pedestrian mall, so we try to recover some of that revenue.”