COUNCIL MEMBER FERNANDO CABRERA CALLS FOR CREATION OF AMNESTY PROGRAM FOR SMALL BUSINESS SUMMONSES DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

COUNCIL MEMBER FERNANDO CABRERA CALLS FOR CREATION OF AMNESTY PROGRAM FOR SMALL BUSINESS SUMMONSES

DURING COVID-19 PANDEMIC

 

Bronx, NY- New York City Council Member and Majority Whip Fernando Cabrera is calling for amnesty for small businesses that received summonses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Small businesses deemed ‘non-essential’ were forced to close for an indefinite period of time, forfeiting income, destroying local businesses and neighborhood jobs,” said Cabrera.  “This didn’t stop the City from issuing summonses for various violations that might not have been the fault of the business owner.  With tremendous loss of revenue, many cannot pay the fines that have been assessed, just adding to the destruction of this critical sector in the five boroughs. We need to save these small businesses, which are mainstays of our communities.  Today I submitted legislation to the New York City Council to create an amnesty and refund program to forgive the summonses and fines and to issue refunds for fines already paid.”

 

As of September 2020, close to 6,000 New York City businesses had closed, and bankruptcy filings had increased by 40%.[i]  “It’s even worse in places like the Bronx, where the federal Paycheck Protection Program failed many of our small businesses, which were never able to access the program for lack of relationships with large banks, or because larger, better financed businesses depleted the available funds.  This has been an especially serious problem in low income black and brown communities, which also endured the most severe health impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.” said Cabrera.  “Forcing businesses to close further impacts the city’s tax base, making a bad situation worse.  Instead, we should forego the fines and save our small businesses.  This offers a path to economic recovery.”

 

Council Member Cabrera is available for interviews.                                                        

 

 

Council Member Fernando Cabrera has proudly served the 14th District since 2010

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