BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Western Regional Off-Track Betting Board of Directors approved a contract during Thursday's board meeting, to make Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown the next president and CEO.
Brown is being offered $295,000 a year. The contract is annual with incentives in the second and third years. He has not yet officially accepted the offer and we were told more details will be released when he signs the offer.
According to OTB chairman Dennis Bassett, Brown still needs to get a license approved by the gaming board. They are working to expedite the process and hope that will occur shortly.
According to a spokesperson from the Mayor's Office, Brown will have an announcement about his future next week.
I asked Bassett why he felt Brown was a good candidate for the position, his response is below:
"We have not had the presence in Albany and the state legislation that we needed to do, some things that we really wanted to do. And we think the relationships that Mayor Brown has developed over the years and his time as a legislator and his relationships in Albany, and in the governor's office will help us to move forward with some of the things that we would like to do at Batavia Downs."
Bassett said the public gaming agency has grown exponentially over the past few years and he hopes that brown keeps that momentum.
According to Bassett, the negotiation period was smooth and Brown expressed that he is looking to make sure OTB is run in a corporate way and not a political way, which impressed him.
Bassett said he hopes to have Brown at the Board of Directors table by the next board meeting in October.
Bassett took questions from the media after the meeting ended, which you can watch below.
The current President and CEO, Henry Wojtaszek, will be leaving the gambling agency at the end of the year.
Wojtaszek is going to be bought out of his contract and paid his full year's salary of $287,000 by mid-December.
This buyout has caused some controversy. Assemblywoman Monica Wallace said this move could be illegal under the state's Severance Pay Limitation Act which sets limits on severance packages to equal three months' salary for public at-will employees.
Wallace issued the following statement on Thursday:
“By approving a contract with a $295,000 salary for the next President and CEO, Western Regional OTB is continuing to fail the taxpayers of our region. This salary is not only higher than that of every other OTB CEO in the state, but it is also higher than the salary of the Vice President of the United States. And it is higher than Western OTB’s total allocation of revenue to eight of the 15 counties it serves in 2022
Furthermore, as the City of Buffalo Mayor, Byron Brown manages an operation that is exponentially larger than OTB both in the size of its workforce and operating budget and yet is paid far less for this important and demanding work. The OTB CEO’s pay should be commensurate with their duties, not simply a continuation of the exorbitant pay that has been the norm under the outgoing CEO.
OTB revenue is intended to benefit the public, not line the pockets of top executives and board members. Sadly, this is yet more wasteful spending by OTB. The taxpayers of Western New York deserve better.
I reiterate my call for the New York Attorney General and Inspector General to investigate and review the expenditures of Western OTB over recent years. This new contract suggests that the OTB continues to operate without regard to its fiduciary obligations to prioritize the interests of local taxpayers.”
If Brown accepts the offer, which Bassett said is the expectation, there will be a shakeup inside Buffalo City Hall.
According to the city's charter, should a mayor vacate office before their term ends, such powers and duties will devolve upon the Common Council president. In this case, South District Council member Chris Scanlon would become acting mayor if Brown leaves.
Scanlon, who has served on the Council since 2011, was recently elected as the Council's president in January. He previously served as President Pro Tempore.
Scanlon issued the following statement Thursday:
"Earlier today, Western Regional Off-Track Betting unanimously approved and offered a contract to Mayor Byron Brown to serve as its president and CEO.
Should Mayor Brown decide to accept the position and resign from office, I stand ready to assume my city charter responsibility to serve as mayor of the City Buffalo with excitement and optimism.
My experience serving as a Council Member for the past 12 years, nine of those in a leadership role, has me well prepared to tackle the challenges that lie ahead with a new vision and fresh ideas to lead Buffalo into the future.
As a lifelong resident and father of three, raising my family in the city we all love, should I be appointed mayor I will be steadfast in my duties serving all residents of the city.
In the coming days, I will be in communication with the mayor and his administration to ensure a seamless transition should he choose to accept the position. I look forward to sharing more information soon."
Since Brown is leaving after August 5th, there will be a general election next year for mayor. If Brown had left before August 5th, there would have been a special election to be mayor this November.
Recently, McCarthy and I reported on possible mayoral candidates including:
- Council President Chris Scanlon
- State Senator Sean Ryan
- Council member Rasheed Wyatt
- Council member Zeneta Everhart
- Council member Leah Halton-Pope
- Former Buffalo Fire Commissioner Garnell Whitfield
- India Walton
With Brown expected to accept the offer, we’re sharing your voice – your message to Brown and who would take his place. You can watch our report below and read more here.
Below you can find our previous reports on Brown being offered the position, the reaction from some Buffalo Common Council members and the community, and a conversation with Scanlon on what his administration would look like if he took over the Mayor's second-floor office.
You can watch our full report below from when the job was offered to Brown and read more here.
We previously spoke with members of the Buffalo Common Council to get their reaction. You can watch the report below and read more here.
We also spoke to people across the city about what they think about the possibility of Brown resigning. You can watch the report below and read more here.
In addition, we sat down with Scanlon to hear what his administration would look like if he took over the Mayor's second-floor office. You can watch that report below and read more here.
