Tag: OTB

Sep 30

2024

Unpacking Byron Brown’s move to OTB

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Byron Brown is as good as gone from City Hall.  It’s good for the city, given his nearly 19-year reign of error. Mayor-in waiting Chris Scanlon is an unproven commodity, but he’s got to be an improvement. But Brown getting a raise to take command of the troubled OTB certainly doesn’t represent good government. Here’s my take: Brown is making the move, as reported by J. Dale Shoemaker, for a couple of reasons, starting with money. The mayor is getting a huge bump in salary, from $178,518 to $295,000 next year and the possibility of still more in 2026 and[...]

Posted 4 months ago

Sep 26

2024

Brown offered $295,000 to head OTB

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Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. Photo by WKBW. This story was updated at 1:58 p.m. Directors of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. today voted to offer Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown a $295,000 salary to be the agency’s new president and CEO. OTB Chairman Dennis Bassett characterized the contract offered to Brown as an “annual” agreement with “incentives” to be negotiated in a second and third year. Bassett refused to say what those incentives are worth or provide any other details of the 18-page employment contract, calling the decision “my choice.” Two attorneys versed in the state’s Freedom of Information Law told[...]

Posted 5 months ago

Sep 24

2024

Brown poised to be the state’s top-paid OTB exec

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Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. Photo by Garrett Looker. This story was updated Sept. 25 at 4:07 p.m. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown stands to be the highest-paid OTB executive in New York should he accept the offer to be Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.’s new president and CEO. OTB’s personnel committee approved the terms of a contract during a two-hour closed-door session Wednesday afternoon. Board members would not disclose the terms of the offer, including salary and start date. The full board is expected to vote on the contract offer to Brown on Thursday, at which time officials said they would[...]

Posted 5 months ago

Sep 19

2024

OTB may vote on Brown contract next week

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The Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. is expected to discuss — if not vote on — an employment contract for Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown at its board of directors meeting next week. Reporter J. Dale Shoemaker appeared on WCNY’s Capitol Pressroom to explain the latest. The Capitol Pressroom · Western NY OTB in period of transition The board, at a special meeting two weeks ago, offered Brown the OTB president and CEO job. He would replace Henry Wojtaszek, who has led the agency since 2016. Wojtaszek this summer announced plans to accept a $299,000 buyout and step down at the[...]

Posted 5 months ago

Sep 8

2024

So much for reforming OTB

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The Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. stayed true to form last week in hiring Byron Brown as its new president and CEO. OTB, perhaps the sleaziest government operation in Western New York, conducted what appears to be a sham recruitment process leading up to the mayor’s hiring. Officials have been largely silent about how they went about advertising the job, aside from Chairman Dennis Bassett telling The Buffalo News the agency posted the job on LinkedIn. LinkedIn? No ads in trade journals? No outreach through recruiters? If OTB did anything beyond LinkedIn, officials aren’t saying. OTB officials said 133 people[...]

Posted 5 months ago

Sep 5

2024

Byron Brown chosen to lead Western OTB

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Mayor Byron Brown, incoming OTB chief. Photo by Garrett Looker. Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown today was selected to head the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.  Brown, 65, was one of two finalists interviewed by OTB’s governing board, which unanimously selected the mayor after five hours of closed-door interviews and deliberations. Elliott Winter, who represents Niagara County on the OTB board and served on the search committee, told reporters Brown is a good fit given his experience running a city government. “He oversees 3,000 employees with a budget of over $600 million. He’s worked in the same capacity for the last[...]

Posted 5 months ago

Aug 28

2024

OTB holds off hiring Wojtaszek successor — for now

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As the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.’s board nears a decision on who the agency’s next president and CEO will be, there’s plenty of speculation about the finalists for the job – one of whom is said to be Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown. Our J. Dale Shoemaker discussed the latest with Michael Wooten on WKBW’s “Voices” newscast Tuesday evening. The OTB board of directors was scheduled to meet Thursday to discuss its search for a new CEO to succeed Henry Wojtaszek, but the agency canceled the meeting Tuesday morning. No explanation was given.  Several board members told Investigative Post the[...]

Posted 6 months ago

Aug 23

2024

OTB set to discuss search for Wojtaszek replacement

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OTB Chairman Dennis Bassett. Photo by Garrett Looker. If Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown is a candidate for the top job at Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp., the chairman of the organization’s board isn’t saying so.  Following the board’s monthly meeting on Thursday at Batavia Downs, Chairman Dennis Bassett said Brown is welcome to “put his name into the pot” of candidates seeking to replace outgoing CEO and President Henry Wojtaszek, who has accepted a contract buyout and is expected to leave his post before the end of the year.  OTB’s board has called a special meeting next Thursday for a[...]

Posted 6 months ago
Investigative Post