New York City mayor Bill de Blasio's administration maintains a gender pay gap while the city's schools chancellor and public-housing chairman receive larger salaries than their female predecessors.
Men in New York City's government hold four of the five top-paying jobs, with salaries ranging from $258,000 to $403,000 per year, according to the New York Post. Men in the administration earn an average of $58,400 more per year than their female counterparts, meaning women receive 81 cents for every dollar earned by the men.
The gap at the top of the city's administration nearly doubles the gap across the rest of the state. On average, women in New York earn 90 cents for every dollar earned by a man. The gap in the city is narrowed when counting all of de Blasio's department heads and commissioners, bringing it to 93 cents per dollar.
"It's disheartening that we still have so far to go," said Democratic city councilwoman Helen Rosenthal.
"We should be asking why women are earning less while doing as much, if not more, work than their male counterparts," added Democratic state senator Jessica Ramos.
Schools chancellor Richard Carranza is paid $345,000, whereas his predecessor Carmen Farina was paid $266,000. Greg Russ, incoming chairman of the city's housing authority, will be paid $403,000, over 75 percent more than his predecessor Shola Olatoye.
De Blasio spokeswoman Freddi Goldstein insisted women have thrived under de Blasio's leadership.
"Under this mayor, more women have a seat at the table than ever before," Goldstein said. "Over half of our senior leadership positions are held by women and that diversity of thought is apparent in all that we do to improve the lives of New Yorkers.
De Blasio has criticized the gender pay gap in the past.
"It is unacceptable that we're still fighting for equal pay for equal work. The simple fact is that women and people of color are frequently paid less for the same work as their white, male counterparts," the mayor said in 2017 when he signed an order prohibiting employers from from inquiring about a potential employee's salary history.
De Blasio, who is running for president, has struggled to gain traction in the Democratic primary with polls showing him averaging less than 1 percent support. MSNBC pundits blasted his debate performance last month, saying he came off as an "obnoxious guy" talking loudly at a bar.