New York City taxpayers are being asked to pay $5.2 million in salaries for Mayor Zohran Mamdani's new Office of Mass Engagement, a figure that is 175% higher than originally reported.
The office has only been open for about a month but has already more than tripled in size, with a headcount of 40 employees and $5,123,756 set aside for salaries alone, according to the city's recently released 2027 executive budget.
Critics have spoken out, calling the spending 'morally incomprehensible' and 'outrageous,' saying it's purely politics at a time when real services are needed.
The office's current hires include Commissioner Tascha Van Auken and Mohamed Alharbi, with plans to bring on an additional 26 employees by next year at an average salary of $125,000.
The office's activities have also raised concerns, with critics questioning the outreach effort ahead of a vote on a possible rent freeze and the hiring of a deputy director of co-governance with a $150,000 salary.
