BUFFALO, N.Y. (AP) — Buffalo’s longest-serving mayor, Byron Brown, said Monday that he will leave City Hall in a few weeks to head a lavish gambling agency.
“After nearly twenty years as mayor, I have enjoyed serving the people of Buffalo as mayor. But Michelle and I believe the time is right to transition to a new role,” he said at a press conference, referring to his wife.
Brown, 66, a Democrat, will receive an annual salary of $295,000 to become president and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. He will oversee operations at the agency’s gambling sites in several New York counties and Batavia Downs, which offers live harness horse racing and a video game casino. As mayor, he receives $178,500 a year. His term would end on December 31, 2025.
Western Regional Off-Track Betting board members unanimously approved a contract with Brown last week. Board Chairman Dennis Bassett said the mayor, a former senator and chairman of the Democratic Party of New York, would raise the agency’s profile in Albany.
“We think the relationship that Mayor Brown has developed over the years, his time as a legislator and his relationships in Albany and in the governor’s office will help us move forward on some of the things we would like to do, Bassett shared. reporters after the vote.
Brown became the city’s first black mayor when he was elected in 2005. He was re-elected to a fifth term in 2021, thanks to a successful write-in campaign launched after he was knocked off the ballot following a shocking loss in the Democratic primary.
In announcing his early departure, Brown said he was proud of the city’s progress under his leadership, citing the Rust Belt city’s first population increase after decades of decline. According to the US Census, the city on Lake Erie had a population of 278,000 in 2020 – a 7% increase from 2010.
“Our city is safer, smarter and more sustainable and I am proud to say we have hired the most diverse workforce in the history of the city of Buffalo,” said Brown.
According to the city charter, Common Council President Christopher Scanlon will serve as acting mayor until the end of Brown’s term. Scanlon, also a Democrat, has served on the council since 2012 and became president in January.
“I am excited about the opportunities this transition will bring and am confident that we will continue to deliver results on behalf of our businesses and our residents,” Scanlon said at the press conference.
