The anticipated move of Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown to Western Regional Off-Track Betting is moving closer after the OTB Board on Thursday approved a contract offer for Brown. The deal, which includes a $295,000 salary, is being criticized in several sectors.
Brown's fellow Democrat, Assemblymember Monica Wallace, blasted the move in a statement saying the compensation is higher than the salary of the Vice President of the United States and is higher than OTB's "total allocation of revenue to eight of the 15 counties it serves."
Long-time critics of the Brown administration, Our City Action Buffalo, also released a statement calling it "a slap in the face to working Buffalonians who are trying to make ends meet." They say Brown's legacy can be found in the 28 percent of Buffalo residents living below the poverty line and the 40 percent of children living in poverty.
Brown still needs to officially accept the offer and resign from office. Once that occurs, in following the City Charter, Council President Chris Scanlon would become acting mayor. In commenting to WBFO, Scanlon said he was excited about the possibility, but was noncommittal over whether he would run in the next mayoral election.
"There's a lot of challenges facing the city of Buffalo that I'm viewing as opportunities to take the city to the next level," Scanlon said. "So, once we get through the initial rush of assuming those responsibilities, in early next year, we'll take a look at it."
The timing of Brown's expected departure remains uncertain though OTB Board Chairman Dennis Basset expects Brown to attend the board's next meeting on Oct. 23.
