New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani arrives at a press conference as New York State Nurses Association union members walk the picket line outside NewYork-Presbyterian Milstein hospital, during their strike in New York City, U.S., January 12, 2026. REUTERS/Brendan McDermid TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
(New York, New York) – New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed a new executive order Wednesday directing his administration to review and potentially slash fines, fees, and regulations imposed on small businesses- though the plan leaves key questions unanswered.
Under the order, Mamdani tasked his newly appointed deputy mayor for economic justice, Julie Su, with leading a yearlong effort to identify what the city deems “onerous” penalties and red tape across multiple agencies. Su previously served as acting U.S. secretary of labor under former President Joe Biden before being tapped for the newly created City Hall role.
“You cannot tell the story of New York without our small businesses,” Mamdani said in a statement. “Yet, our city has long made it too hard for these same businesses to open their doors – and to keep them open.”
The order requires seven city agencies to compile a comprehensive inventory of fees and civil penalties facing small businesses within 45 days. Agencies then have up to 180 days to determine which fines they believe are unnecessary and whether they can be eliminated administratively within 90 days or would require City Council legislation.
Among the agencies involved are the Fire Department of the City of New York, the New York City Department of Health, and the New York City Department of Sanitation- departments long criticized by business owners for aggressive enforcement and costly violations.
The order also instructs agencies to explore whether an “amnesty and relief” program for small businesses could be implemented within a year. However, the administration has not clarified what would qualify as a small business under the program or how much relief owners could expect.
A spokesperson for Mamdani declined to specify eligibility thresholds, fueling skepticism among critics who say the initiative is heavy on rhetoric but light on details.
“We want to make it easier – not just to open the doors of a small business, but also to keep them open,” Mamdani said later Wednesday at an unrelated event in Brooklyn.
The executive order allows Su to expand the initiative to additional agencies at her discretion. For now, business advocates say they’re reserving judgment- welcoming any effort to reduce fines, while questioning whether the mayor’s “economic justice” agenda will translate into real, measurable relief for struggling mom-and-pop shops already squeezed by taxes, labor costs, and regulation.
Whether the plan delivers meaningful change- or simply produces another report- remains to be seen.
