BATAVIA, N.Y. (WKBW) — The Western Regional Off-Track Betting chairman Dennis Bassett said the board of directors is inching closer to finding a new president and CEO.
After a board of directors meeting Thursday morning, Bassett said the search committee, which he is leading, has received resumes from "around the world" and has narrowed the list to a group of "sharp candidates."
Bassett refused to share the list of candidates and how many candidates they've boiled the list down to. He would not share the starting salary but said it's a range that's "competitive."
"The search is moving and we're doing due diligence once again," Bassett said. "And now we're not far away from being able to make some decisions."
Current president and CEO Henry Wojtaszek is leaving the public gambling agency at the end of the year. He'll be bought out of his contract and be paid his full year's salary of $287,000 by mid-December.
"But it's time for us to move forward. It's time for us to take our strategic framework and move forward," Bassett said.
The board also approved buying out the contracts of William White, the vice president of operations, and Jackie Leach, the chief financial officer. You can watch our report from when the buyouts were announced below.
But 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.
"I would strongly encourage both of those agencies...to look very deeply into the conduct that has been going on, because I believe it's illegal. And even if it's not illegal, it definitely is not in the interest of the people and the taxpayers of the western region," Wallace said.
Wallace, State Senator Sean Ryan and Erie County Comptroller Kevin Hardwick held a press conference in July and called out Off Track Betting's board members and executives. You can watch our report below.
I reached out to the Attorney General's office and Inspector General's office. A spokesperson for the Inspector General's office sent the following statement:
The Offices of the New York State Inspector General is committed to thorough, comprehensive, and independent investigations into all complaints received that fall under our jurisdiction. But as is the standard policy of this Office, in the interest of maintaining the confidentiality of complainants, witnesses, and subjects of any allegations, we do not confirm the existence or status of investigations unless and until a finding of wrongdoing is made. All such findings are codified in writing, and since November of 2021 all such materials are released to the public, and will continue to be going forward.
I asked Bassett about the legality of the buyouts.
"We wouldn't have gone down that road if our legal counsel would've said it was not legal to do that," Bassett answered.
Bassett is now looking ahead to honing in on a new CEO and president who has a good grasp of New York politics including the state legislature.
7 News Political Analyst Bob McCarthy and I have heard conversations about Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown leaving office early and having an interest in the top job at OTB.
You can watch our full conversation below.
Mirand: Is the board interested in Mayor Byron Brown?
Bassett: I've heard that speculation too and if Byron Brown's interested he'll put his name...into the pot.
Bassett said he hopes to announce the new president and CEO by September.
