Mayor Brown calls offer to be Western Regional OTB CEO ‘an exciting opportunity’

BUFFALO, N.Y. (WIVB) — Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown spoke with WIVB News 4 on Saturday for the first time since he was offered a position to be the next CEO and president of the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation earlier this week.

Brown was in attendance for his Kids Summer Reading Challenge event at the Buffalo Convention Center, and it marked his first media address in person since Thursday’s news.

“Certainly an exciting opportunity,” Brown said of the offer from WROTB. “Appreciate the faith and confidence the directors of that organization has placed in me.”

Plenty of attention has been on Brown as he mulls the possibility of leaving his post as mayor, but as of now, he is still fully committed to his role.

“A contract has to be negotiated,” Brown said. “It has to be approved by the board. While all that is happening, I will still be performing all my duties as mayor of the City of Buffalo.”

Brown has held his seat in City Hall since 2006. In that time, he’s helped write the chapters for programs throughout Buffalo’s history, including his Kids Summer Reading Challenge.

“Any program supporting our young people, he’s always been an advocate for,” said Police Athletic League of Buffalo executive director Nekia Kemp.

The program encourages students to read five or more books throughout the summer and write summaries of those books. At the end, students have the chance to win prizes, like a new bike.

Since 2006, more than 30,000 children have completed the program.

“The program itself has grown tremendously but the mayor has really shown his commitment to the young people with this program, with our summer youth program and many other programs that we run throughout the city,” said City of Buffalo commissioner for community service and recreational programming Otis Barker, Sr.

Organizers say the mayor’s support over the years has made a difference.

“He has been doing this program beyond his years as mayor,” Kemp said. “As councilmember, part of the Senate, it’s been amazing having his support because it’s a true citywide effort bringing all of these sponsors together to be able to support literacy in the City of Buffalo.”

Brown is Buffalo’s longest-serving mayor, and if he accepts the role at WROTB, he could step down from his post before the end of his term. Should he do so, Buffalo Common Council President Chris Scanlon would take over as acting mayor.

Sarah Minkewicz is an Emmy-nominated reporter and Buffalo native who has been a part of the News 4 team since 2019. Follow Sarah on Twitter @SarahMinkewicz and click here to see more of her work.