The owners of a Mount Vernon bakery are calling the closure of the store political retaliation.

City officials tell News 12 that Mount Vernon Quality of Life Task Force alerted 65 businesses via mail that they were out of compliance with city standards, and four of them - including Cupcake Cutie Boutique - didn't come to terms within their deadline.

The Building Department tells News 12 they don't have a certificate of tenancy, but owner Miesha Stokley says it is a political retaliation against her father - a journalist who has been critical of Mayor Richard Thomas.

"It's just too much,” says Stokely. “It takes a toll on me every day because I worked so hard for my business and I don't understand what's happening. I'm asking for answers and nobody is giving me any answer."

Stokely's attorney, Lauren Raysor, showed News 12 certificates hung in the establishment to prove county officials inspected the property.

Mount Vernon Building Commissioner Daniel Jones tells News 12 that the city may have more stringent standards. Jones says the city must inspect the property to make sure it's safe and be given a blueprint of the space, which Stokely says was provided in 2013 under the previous administration.

The city also tried to shut down the shop in August, which led the owners to file a lawsuit against the mayor.