Mayor Eric Adams signed an executive order to help small businesses Tuesday. 

He says its goal is to get rid of needless fines against small businesses in New York City. 

He says it will reform small business violations by reducing fines and penalties. The new executive order calls upon various departments in the city to take a second look at their business regulations. 

The mayor says he wants the department to pinpoint the violations that are responsible for the greatest number of fines and summonses to small businesses. Departments will then have to create recommendations for which of those violations can be reformed. 

He also wants departments to scale back fine schedules and give a warning instead of a fine or allow for a period of time to fix the problem. 

If reform is not in the cards, departments have to explain why these violations need to stand as is. 

"You just opened a new business, you make a mistake, you should not be hit with a violation, you should not be hit with a fine that's going to prevent you from keeping your doors open. We're going to put in a warning system that will allow those businesses to have a period of time --- for those non-emergency health violations --- a period of time to fix the problem,” said Adams. 

Adams says he wants these reforms to largely focus on first-time offenders. He says the city will continue to go after repeat offenders.