N.Y. Second Class Cities Law § 42
Any person violating an ordinance of the common council shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, except that an ordinance may provide that a violation thereof shall be an offense, and the common council may provide therein or by general ordinance, that any person guilty of such violation shall be liable to a fine which shall not exceed one hundred and fifty dollars in amount, or to imprisonment not exceeding one hundred and fifty days, or to both such fine and imprisonment, or such ordinance may provide for a penalty, not exceeding five hundred dollars to be recovered by the city in a civil action. The city may maintain an action or proceeding in a court of competent jurisdiction to compel compliance with, or to restrain by injunction the violation of, any ordinance of the common council or of the commissioner of public safety, notwithstanding that the ordinance may provide a penalty for such violation.
N.Y. Second Class Cities Law § 42