The New York City chapter of the Democratic Socialists of America approved a resolution on Saturday to begin paying full-time salaries to its elected co-chairs Grace Mausser and Gustavo Gordillo, the socialist organization confirmed to City & State.<\/p>\n
The resolution, titled \u201cFull-Time Paid Leadership Pilot: Organizing a Socialist Agenda through Mayoral and Electoral Coordination<\/a>,\u201d calls for Gordillo and Mausser, who are currently volunteers, to receive annual salaries of $95,000 plus benefits. The pay is meant to professionalize the leadership and compensate Gordillo and Mausser for leading NYC-DSA full-time \u2013 for at least as long as they continue winning reelection to their current positions. (The next co-chair elections are in November, and both Mausser and Gordillo are running for reelection.)<\/p>\n As full-time co-chairs, according to the proposal, Gordillo and Mausser will be expected to: \u201cRepresent NYC-DSA before government officials, including but not limited to the Mayor\u2019s Office and Department leadership;\u201d \u201cBuild and support the political relationships with our City Council, State Assembly, State Senate, and Congressional elected officials;\u201d \u201cJointly plan communication, endorsement, and event strategy with the elected official slate;\u201d and \u201cEnsure legal compliance of NYC-DSA operations and program activities.\u201d DSA has grown in size and prominence with Mayor Zohran Mamdani\u2019s win, and both Mausser and Gordillo have been making frequent media appearances.<\/p>\n \u201cAs our organization grows, our co-chairs are now responsible for coordinating with the mayoral administration and our many elected Socialists in Office, representing democratic socialism to an audience of millions, and coordinating campaigns and initiatives to engage and empower thousands of members,\u201d NYC-DSA Secretary Julia Swoope said in a statement. \u201cThis is a full-time job, and by making these positions paid, we\u2019re ensuring that working people can continue to lead our organization.\u201d<\/p>\n City & State\u2019s Heard Around Town newsletter first broke the news about the proposal to pay NYC-DSA\u2019s co-chairs last month. Since then, the New York Post reported that Gordillo \u2013 who described himself as a working-class union electrician \u2013 had a more privileged background<\/a> than many had realized. His father bought Gordillo\u2019s house<\/a> in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn for nearly $1 million in 2019, and Gordillo was kicked out of IBEW Local 3<\/a> for failing to pay dues, making the prospect of NYC-DSA paying him close to six figures a bit more awkward.<\/p>\n While Gordillo previously worked as an electrician, Mausser\u2019s day job is at a nonprofit.<\/p>\n But NYC-DSA can afford it. The socialist group has embarked on a successful drive to get many of its more than 15,000 members to pay more monthly dues \u2013 and even got Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez to renew her dues<\/a> after a seven-year lapse.\u00a0<\/p>\n According to a budget document presented to DSA members alongside the resolution, NYC-DSA\u2019s monthly revenue is about $84,700. Most of that comes from dues \u2013 with more than $27,000 coming from national DSA (as a share of the monthly national dues paid by New York City-based DSA members) and over $45,000 coming from optional dues that NYC-DSA members pay directly to the local chapter. Other sources of revenue include $7,500 per month from merch sales and\u00a0 $50,000 per year from an anonymous donor. (A spokesperson for NYC-DSA declined to name the philanthropist.) Full-time salaries and benefits for both co-chairs will cost about $20,000 per month \u2013 bringing NYC-DSA\u2019s total monthly expenses to about $65,000.<\/p>\n