Batavia, N.Y. (WBEN) - When former Mayor Byron Brown walked out of Buffalo City Hall in October 2024, his focus immediately shifted to his new gig - serving as president and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp.
However, with Buffalo facing a projected $109 million budget deficit in the 2026-2027 fiscal year, more than few criticisms and brickbats have been thrown his way.
As has been his wont, Brown is taking the high road and will not respond to criticisms of his past policies.
"It's not my job to criticize those who came after me, or before me," Brown said in an exclusive interview with WBEN.
Brown said his focus is on the present - which means running Western Regional OTB, whose holdings include Batavia Downs and its hotel and adjoining casino. The casino has 440 employees and in 2025 - the first full year under Brown's leadership - it recorded $1.2 billion in dollars flowing through its operations, a high water mark for WROTB.
Buffalo, for example, received $1.2 million from the Batavia Downs proceeds. Buffalo is one of 17 upstate partner communities with WROTB and collectively, those communities received a combined $93 million from the gaming corporation.
As for the criticism, Brown says it was expected, but people should never doubt his love and allegiance to the City of Buffalo. Brown remains a Buffalo resident.
Brown said when he first ascended to the mayor's office in 2006, he reached out to former Mayors Tony Masiello and Jimmy Griffin to tap into their institutional knowledge.
Brown made the same offer to Mayor Sean Ryan but has heard nothing.
"When I was mayor, people wanted to know what I was going to do, not what was done before me," Brown said.
Byron Brown is now focusing on running Western Regional OTB
