BATAVIA, N.Y. (WKBW) — After nearly 20 years in office, former Buffalo mayor Byron Brown stepped down from office Tuesday morning and started his new job at Western Regional Off-Track Betting Wednesday.
"I'm ready to get started there," Brown said Monday.
Brown is now OTB's new president and CEO — stepping into an annual salary of $295,000. The public gambling agency generates revenue for several counties including those in Western New York.
"One of my goals is to make it even more profitable so even more revenue can be delivered to the 17 member municipalities," Brown said.
One of the reasons OTB hired Brown is because of the close ties the former state senator has to Albany.
"We have not had the presence in Albany and in the state legislature to do some of the things that we really wanted to do," Dennis Bassett, chair of OTB's board of directors, said in September.
One of the key players Brown will work with is State Senator Joe Addabbo. He is chair of the state Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering — which regulates all aspects of *legal* gaming activity in the state.
"It's a clean slate and I look forward to working with him." Senator Addabbo said. "Years ago he was in the State Senate. So he knows the players, he knows the process. And maybe it's a new dawn for Western OTB."
A new dawn indeed as Addabbo said there was legislation that previously targeted OTB for its practices. Then-state Senator Tim Kennedy created bills designed to restructure operations at Western OTB.
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"But we need to move forward as a state, and so in a positive fashion, let's move forward. Let's see some fresh ideas from this new leader at Western OTB and Mr Brown and see what happens," Addabbo said.
Brown said he will be taking two city hall staffers with him down the thruway to OTB.
