On February 20 at P.S. 18, Mayor Bill de Blasio announced the City’s new relief for small businesses. This includes eliminating fines for first time violations and expanding some violations cure periods. de Blasio announced in his State of the City that his administration has cut small business fines by over 40 percent since 2014 and will cut an additional 10 percent by the time the Mayor leaves office. The Administration has put over $100 million back in the pockets of small business owners, and this relief will raise the amount of money saved yearly from $20 million to $26 million.
“We will not be a city that gives in to corporate takeover. Instead, we’ll fight for our mom-and-pops and do all we can to help them thrive.”
— Mayor Bill de Blasio
Failure to clean 18 inches from curb into the street ($100 penalty) and excessive noise created by an air compressor ($560 penalty) are examples of two first-time fines that will be forgiven. Two examples of violations with expanded cure periods are failure to disclose details about layaway plans ($260 penalty) and failure to post clear price list at laundromats ($375 penalty).
The Greenline 