Mayor Of New York State’s Second Largest City Offered New Job

The rumors on the internents that have been swirling for the last few days appear to be more factual than not, as the Mayor of New York State's second-largest city is being offered a new job in Western New York.

READ MORE: Will Byron Brown Be Stepping Down As Mayor Of Buffalo?

Just as speculation was building that Byron Brown, Mayor of Buffalo, New York, was on the verge of stepping down to take a new job, the Board of Directors for Western Regional Off-Track Betting offered Mr. Brown the position of President and CEO of the Batavia Down race track and various betting parlors that are sprinkled all over Western New York. The WROTB covers a 15-county area in Western New York.

What Is Off-Track Betting?

In the 1970s, the New York State Legislature created a series of betting parlors across the state to combat the illegal betting and bookmaking trade. The state is divided into five regions, each with a public benefit corporation that subsequently owns and operates horse racing and other betting facilities.

The Western Region OTB is headquartered at Batavia Downs (the oldest lighted harness racetrack in America) in Batavia, New York, and controls operations across 19 different offices in Buffalo, Rochester, and the westernmost counties in New York State.

While Byron Brown has not accepted the position, as it was just offered today, it may mean a rather large pay increase for the public servant. The current President and CEO of WROTB, Henry Wojtaszek, earns more than the Governor of New York and the mayor of Buffalo, with a salary of $272,000 per year.

What Happens Next?

If Brown steps down and accepts the position, the office of Mayor of Buffalo will automatically pass to Christopher Scanlon, the president of the Common Council. According to the City of Buffalo Charter, which governs how Buffalo is managed, this is required.

It looks like a lot of change is on the horizon for Buffalo.