Issue Position: Save our Small Businesses

Issue Position

Our small businesses make our neighborhoods unique. They contribute to our community, our culture, our economy and our quality of life. Yet COVID-19 has tesd them like never before. It has been estimated that up to 40% of small businesses could close because of the economic devastation of this pandemic. We can't let that happen.

I have started a Small Business Recovery Advisory Group to help our local small businesses bounce back from this crisis.

I'll keep working to help our community's small businesses come back from the devastation of the pandemic, and to thrive long into the future.

Here's my plan to save our small businesses and keep our city's economy strong:

Pass my legislation, S8211-A, to make insurance companies pay for the business interruption insurance for the COVID-19 pandemic. Businesses have been paying their insurance fees for years, only to be told that when they need it, their insurance doesn't cover a pandemic as a "business interruption." That's absurd. Insurance companies have the ability to pay out billions of dollars and an obligation to honor their agreements.

Pass "Recovery Lease" legislation allowing landlords to receive a tax incentive to negotiate recovery leases with small businesses. I co-sponsor this bill and will fight for its passage.

Fight for commercial rent relief from the federal government and continue the commercial eviction moratorium until we can pass meaningful relief.

Pass my legislation S4577-A to suspend sales tax on small businesses with fewer than 20 employees, to incentivize New Yorkers to support local - instead of buying online or at big box stores.

Offer health experts at cost from city government to provide free, in-depth consultations for businesses on keeping themselves and their customers safe as well as complying with city and state regulations. Read more in the Brooklyn Paper.

Maintain consistent rules on outdoor dining guidelines, and commit to not fining restaurants for violations due to shifting guidelines. I have called for the city to forgive these fines that occurred as a result of changing rules and to offer clear, comprehensive guidance going forward. Read more in Brooklyn Paper and Brooklyn Home Reporter.

Keep the open restaurants option permanently. Open restaurants have been a lifeline for restaurants and a small bright spot for many New Yorkers. The Mayor has called for this program to come back next year, and I believe it should become a permanent feature of our city in the warmer months. Read more in the Brooklyn Home Reporter.

Offer restaurants guidelines for indoor dining. Restaurants are the lifeblood of our city. As winter approaches, we can't leave our restaurants out in the cold. I advocated for a safe indoor dining plan, as restaurants were given Long Island, Westchester and in New Jersey, and soon after it was stated that restaurants could open on September 30th at 25% capacity. Read more in News12, Home Reporter and WCBS880.

Offer low-cost PPE and tax credits to small businesses. Procuring PPE is a new expense just at the moment when small businesses' revenue is plummeting. The state should buy in bulk to allow PPE and sanitizer to cost less than if individual businesses have to procure it in small orders, and offer tax credits for the purchase of needed PPE.

Give small businesses a seat at the table. I brought small businesses together to serve on my Recovery Advisory Group because it's crucial to hear from them about what they need to stay afloat. I'll keep listening to our small businesses and seeking their advice about how to help them recover.

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