Mayor Nixes Dozens Of Fines For NYC Businesses In $9M Cut To Red Tape

NEW YORK, NY — A rollback on more than 100 business fines and city violations will ease the "trauma" New York City's business owners feel at the sight of inspectors, according to Mayor Eric Adams.

"Someone from the city walks into your business ... People were feeling [like], 'Oh my god what are they going to do to take another dollar out of me," Adams said at a press conference Sunday. "That is not how we are going to run this city."

The rollback — unveiled after a months-long deep dive into business inspection rules — will completely eliminate 30 fines faced by New York City businesses, reduce another 49 and add a grace period to 39 others, according to the mayor's office.

Though the mayor did not release a full list of the changes, examples include rolling back rules about having garbage bins for compostable straws, labels on old-school TV cables or displaying permits about electrical work, according to the city.

Businesses will also now have 60 days to fix Department of Buildings violations that aren't immediately hazardous.

"We’re not coming in right away and giving you a fine," Adams said. "For those non-emergency ... items, we’re telling you 'This is wrong, fix it, we’ll give you a period of time to fix it.'"

The rollback comes as Adams sets his sights on rebooting New York City's economy from the coronavirus crisis, which devastated many small businesses.

His administration was tasked in January with surveying nearly 1,000 business owners about their biggest qualms with the city's regulations.

The changes to city violations — to be put in place by the end of the year — will mean $8.9 million less spent on fines and fees for New York City small businesses each year, he said.

"For too long we stifled the entrepreneur's spirit in New York City — No one wanted to do business here, no one wanted to go through the bureaucracy," Adams said. "Today, we are cutting red tape, reducing burdensome regulations, and saving our small businesses approximately $8.9 million — supercharging our recovery and paving the way for an equitable, five-borough economy.”