BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — During a special meeting Thursday, Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown was offered a contract to become the next President and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting.
The current President and CEO, Henry Wojtaszek, will be leaving the gambling agency at the end of the year.
You can watch our full report from Thursday below and find more information here.
Even in the absence of a mayor, there is a united front, and many Buffalo Common Council members told me they must keep the city moving forward.
University District Council Member Rasheed Wyatt said if Mayor Brown accepts the role, he wishes him well and will keep his focus on the City of Buffalo.
"This whole thing about going has kind of been a distraction and we haven't been focused," said Wyatt. "What we must focus on right now is how do we overcome the financial deficit that we're going to be incurring. So, we have to start looking at things right now. We can't wait until we get to that point. I'm glad that he's moving on. I wish him well."
Majority Leader Leah Halton-Pope shared that sentiment.
"I think it's up to he and his family to decide what is best for them and until he makes a decision about what he's going to do, I don't really have an opinion about that just yet," said Halton-Pope. "We still have work to do so I don't really think it changes anything. The work of the people that he has to represent still has to continue on."
Fillmore District Council Member Mitch Nowakowski wants his constituents to know that if the mayor accepts the position, the council will try to make the transition as smooth as possible, even with one less person on the 9-district common council.
"With one that is the acting mayor, that will leave 8 which is an even number," said Nowakowski. "We can't anticipate where alliances or anything like that goes because I think, at the end of the day, the Common Council will remain united to make sure the function of government continues and operates and I don't anticipate any deadlocks or anything crazy like that to happen because our constituents come first."
According to the city charter, should Brown leave, Council President Chris Scanlon would become acting mayor. I tried to get a reaction from him, but he was unable to speak with me Thursday afternoon.
In 2021, India Walton ran against Brown for Mayor of Buffalo. Walton defeated Brown in the Democratic primary in June 2021 but Brown ran as a write-in candidate and defeated Walton in November 2021.
Walton told me residents of Buffalo are being "robbed" of the opportunity to play a part in democracy and vote in a special election.
"In 2025, Chris Scanlon will now have the advantage of incumbency. So, I think the saddest part is that, again, the voters and residents of Buffalo are missing out on a chance to have productive dialogue to talk policy, to have debate, to really be engaged in the electoral process and in choosing who our leader is," Walton said.
I also reached out to New York State Senator Sean Ryan for his response to the OTB announcement and his office released this statement:
"Should he accept the offer, Byron Brown's departure from the Mayor's Office will be the beginning of a new era for the City of Buffalo. For the first time in nearly two decades, Buffalo will have the chance to address our many challenges with a clean slate and fresh eyes.
It is my hope that he will commit to cleaning up the culture of corruption that has defined our local OTB for many years now. He can start by calling for the board to rescind the illegal golden parachutes approved earlier this year.
The City of Buffalo faces many challenges going forward: a fiscal crisis, a housing shortage, neighborhoods in need of investment, and much more. If we focus on addressing these critical issues, I have no doubt we can overcome all of these challenges and create a brighter future for the people of Buffalo."
