Henry Wojtaszek

The search for a new president and CEO of Western Regional OTB is well underway, with the field of global candidates getting narrowed, and the expectation Henry Wojtaszek's replacement is announced before the end of the year, Dennis Bassett told reporters on Thursday.

The discussion with reporters came at the conclusion of the OTB's monthly board meeting at Batavia Downs.

"The search is moving; it is moving along actively, and we're doing our due diligence," said Bassett, chairman of the OTB board.

"We have narrowed the field down," he added. "I'm not going to say how many we have now but we've gone through a step process with the first wave of applicants, narrowed that down, did another perusing by the committee, narrowed that down, and now we're not far away from being able to make some decisions."

Bassett said that when the field is narrowed sufficiently, the entire OTB board will be involved in the candidate interviews, and the board will make the final decision on which candidate to hire.

At its June meeting, the OTB board authorized the buyout of employment contracts for Wojtasek, CFO Jackie Leach, and VP of Operations William White. In the same resolution, the board authorized Bassett to form a CEO search committee.

On Thursday, Bassett said the committee received resumes from applicants that is global in scope, but among the criteria the committee is using to screen candidates is knowledge of the regulatory, legislative, and political landscape of New York.

"One of the key ingredients is knowledge of the New York politics, knowledge of the New York Legislature, how you can work your way through the maze, and how you can help us shed a better light on OTB," Bassett said. "Because one of the key things that I have seen is that we need to do a better job of making sure that the people in Albany know what we're doing and that they look upon WTB as a positive because no one ever asked me, 'are you guys making any money?' In the last two years, we have had record earnings. We are on track to have our third consecutive year of record earnings. No one asks me those questions. No one wants to know. No one wants to see that we're a very successful corporation."

Erie County media has repeatedly speculated on whether Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown would be a candidate for the job. Bassett suggested Brown hadn't applied but then took it back, saying he wouldn't discuss specific candidates.

"I've heard that speculation, too," Bassett said. "If Byron Brown is interested, he'll put his name in," but added that the resume process is closed now.

Asked, "Are you suggesting he has not applied for the job?"

"I'm not suggesting anything like that," Bassett said.

Asked later in the conversation if Brown had applied, Bassett said, "I'm not going to give any answer about our applicants. I'm not going to answer about who has applied for the job, whether it's Byron Brown or anyone else. It's unfair to any candidate to give a name because the candidates who have applied for the job have a job. If I give their name and they don't get the job, how do they go back to their employer and say, 'Well, I was out fishing, and I didn't catch any fish, so I'm back. I'm back, coming to work today.'"

Bassett, a Democrat who represents Monroe County, said he recognizes the need to move quickly if OTB is to have a new CEO in place before Dec. 31, Wojtasek's last day of employment. 

Part of what drives the need to move quickly is at the executive level. For some employers, a mere two-week notice isn't sufficient. An executive may need to give a 30-day notice.

"That's why I have been very keenly aware that we have to move swiftly to try and get through this search process," Bassett said. "The longer you wait, the tougher it is. You don't have good candidates hanging on the fence. We've tried to be very crisp, we've tried to be very thorough, and we've got a very metrics-driven process that we're using, and I think it's working well. The board is going to have some good candidates in front of them for the interview."

Whoever is eventually hired, Bassett suggested, will have big shoes to fill.  Wojtasek is popular with staff, with customers, and has delivered record-breaking results in recent years.

"I have a great working relationship with Henry," Bassett said. "I applaud him and will continue to sing his praises because he's been great to work with. He's been great with the employees. He's been really great with this board. So Henry's electing to leave. Henry is looking for a different challenge. And quite honestly, what better way to leave than leave on top? And I've got to give him his props."

CEO Henry Wojtaszek's departure from Western Regional OTB really is a decision rooted in consensus with the Board of Directors, he said on Thursday evening, hours after the board voted 14-1 to buy out his contract

His last official day with the company will be Dec. 31.

"For my part, this is something I've discussed with a few members for a few months," Wojtaszek said.

The Batavian asked if he would further explain his decision and he declined to elaborate.

There have been rumors that he intended to run for elected office in Niagara County.  He said that's not his intention at this time.

"You know, people have asked me about that many times," Wojtaszek said. "I really have no idea at this time what I'm going to be doing. Like I told people today, I plan to practice law. That's what I did before. I came here, and I was general counsel first. So, I plan to do that. Anything other than that, we will deal with it at the time."

Wojtaszek started with the company in 2010 and became CEO in 2016.  His salary is $264,898.

The agreement approved by the board provides Wojtaszek with a full year's salary, to be paid out on Dec. 15. 

In the same motion that signaled the eventual end of Wojtaszek's career with the OTB, the board also approved buyouts for CFO Jackie Leach, and VP of Operations William White.

They will each receive a half-year's salary, paid out on Dec. 15 also, at the end of their employment in 2025.

Previously: OTB board votes to buy out contracts of top three executives

In a regular monthly meeting on Thursday, the board of directors for Western Regional Off-Track Betting voted to buy out the contracts of CEO Henry Wojtaszek, CFO Jackie Leach, and VP of Operations William White.

The board called the buyout a "renegotiation." 

Board President Dennis Bassett issued a press release after the meeting stating, "We have mutually renegotiated these contracts in the best interest of each individual and our corporation."

The statement characterized it as an "amicable separation."

In a statement issued after the meeting,  Wojtaszek said:

I’ve enjoyed my 15 years here at Batavia Downs, and I want to thank the board and all of our 400 employees for their support.  My focus now will be on ensuring a seamless transition to new leadership.

I see a great future for this organization as they build upon many of our accomplishments that have made Batavia Downs a first-class entertainment venue.   

After the meeting, when asked if this change in job status didn't constitute a firing, Basset said, "It's at their request."

He also said there was no political pressure to status change.

"We don't run this organization based on politics," Bassett said. "This is a business. There's no political pressure here to do anything."

Wojtaszek started with the company in 2010 as general counsel and became CEO in 2016.  His salary is $264,898.

Under the terms of the agreement with Wojtaszek, the CEO will leave his job on Dec. 31. In exchange for foregoing the remaining time on his contract, he will receive a full year's salary.  He must also agree not to take a job or engage with any other entity in the gaming business through 2026.  Other benefits due to Wojtaszek will be resolved through negotiations.

Leach started working at Batavia Downs in 1989 as a staff accountant and earns $221,582 as the chief financial officer. She will leave her position after her sick, vacation, and compensation time, if any, in early spring 2025. She will remain on-premises through Jan. 31, 2025, and will split time between home and office in February. For the remaining time on her employment contract, she will be paid half her annual salary.

White was named VP of administration in 2012. His salary is $155,168.

He will continue working through April 30.   At that time, he will use up any remaining sick leave and vacation time. He will receive half of a full year's salary.

The resolution authorizing the "negotiations" authorizes Bassett to form a search committee for new executives.

The resolution passed 14-1, with Tim Callan, representing Erie County, casting the lone no vote. The seats for Seneca and Wayne counties are currently vacant. Genesee County's representative, Charles Zambito, voted yes.

After the vote, Board Member Vincent W. Horrigan, of Chautauqua County, said, "This cooperation, in my short time here, has achieved incredible results and performance for the counties for the state. That doesn't just happen. It's an incredible leadership team that made that happen. And I would just like to acknowledge the leadership team. They have done absolutely incredible work. Intentions are important, but results are to be congratulated."

Immediately after the meeting, Zambito declined a comment request.

While OTB's revenue and payments to the shareholder municipalities have grown significantly over the past decade, Batavia Downs has been the target of complaints about some of its business practices in recent years.

In November 2023, Western OTB protected $86.4 million in net revenue from racing and gaming operations for the year.  The 17 municipalities that own businesses were set to receive more than $10 million in distributions.

A decade and a half ago, the NYS Comptroller's Office issued a report that expressed concern that OTBs in the state, including Western OTB, were on the brink of failure. Since then, Batavia Downs has expanded gaming, added a concert series, remodeled its event space, started hosting more events, built a hotel, added two new bars, and remodeled its restaurant, with most of that business expansion coming in the past eight years.

The board came under fire for health insurance coverage members received based on a 2008 NYS Comptroller's report that seemingly contradicted previous comptroller's reports.  The report, which is no longer online, reportedly said Western Regional OTB wasn't permitted to provide free health care coverage to board members, even though two prior audits, state law, and case law supported the ability of government agencies that operated as businesses, such at Western Regional OTB, could in engage in standard business practices.

It's common in corporate America to provide health care, along with other compensation, to board members.

Attorneys for Western OTB said providing health insurance was legal, but an outside council hired to review the issue recommended that the board rescind the health insurance perk, which it did in 2021.

In another Comptroller's Audit, the agency found that OTB engaged in poor record keeping for how perks, such as tickets to Bills and Sabres games, along with other events, were distributed to Batavia Downs customers, implying that some tickets went to board members and family members. Contrary to some reporting on the report, there were no allegations of graft or illegal activity related to the perks.  The main issue was that Batavia Downs couldn't account for all of the tickets that were distributed.  At least nine percent of the tickets distributed by Batavia Downs went to non-players.  The facility has since improved its record keeping and tightened the rules around board members distributing and acting as hosts for gamers using the tickets.

The Comptroller also found that Wojtaszek did not properly record his use of a company-provided take-home vehicle.  Wojtaszek admitted that he did not file the proper paperwork and reimbursed OTB OTB $3,000 to resolve the issue.  At the time, the company was in the process of eliminating take-come vehicles and instead providing a vehicle allowance, which is now standard business practice in the United States.

Politicians and some reporters used the audits to misrepresent the issues raised as signs of "corruption." In May 2023, a Buffalo Democrat, Sen. Tim Kennedy, pushed through legislation to restructure the Western OTB board, establishing wasted votes based on county and city population, ending the equal distribution of board member votes among the counties and transferring control of the board to Buffalo and Rochester and Erie and Monroe counties.

The rural counties are suing the State of New York over the changes in voting structure.

"I can only say that I echo what Mr. Harrigan said," Bassett said after the meeting. "They have done a tremendous job. And they deserve, really, the time that they are going to move on and move forward with other endeavors. It's been a pleasure to work with all three of them."

The chairman of the board of the Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation on Thursday addressed allegations of misconduct against President/Chief Executive Officer Henry Wojtaszek, stating that directors couldn’t be happier with the North Tonawanda resident’s job performance.

“Henry has been exonerated on all fronts,” said Richard Bianchi prior to the public benefit company’s monthly board meeting at Batavia Downs Gaming. “He has done an outstanding job. Before the COVID hit, we had record revenues and record attendance.”

Wojtaszek (in photo), a former Niagara County Republican chairman and an attorney, has been on the receiving end of assertions of wrongdoing from former State Sen. George D. Maziarz (Niagara County) related to his WROTB position and past employment.

Directors looked into Maziarz claims, hiring noted Buffalo attorney Terry Connors to investigate accusations into wrongful spending and misuse of Buffalo Bills and Sabres tickets, a company car and cell phone.

While not disclosing details of Connors’ 380-page report, Bianchi said it is a dead issue.

“The car and the phone are gone,” he said, adding that Wojtaszek has “brought Batavia Downs Gaming to great places” since taking over for Michael Kane, who retired in 2016.

The board has increased Wojtaszek’s pay by about 50 percent since he became president/chief executive officer, approving a salary of $191,938 in December.

Prior to that, Wojtaszek served as WROTB’s general counsel for six years and formerly was a partner at the law firm of Harris Beach and city attorney for North Tonawanda from 1998-2004.

At Maziarz’s urging, in April of last year, the FBI reportedly investigated claims of improper spending, but no criminal charges were filed.

Wojtaszek said he and his wife, Niagara County District Attorney Caroline Wojtaszek, have been victims of a smear campaign by Maziarz, who reportedly spent $20,000 on campaign mailers earlier this year in an unsuccessful attempt to discredit Caroline Wojtaszek during her primary run for Niagara County Court Judge.

Henry Wojtaszek said that Maziarz lashed out after being indicted in 2017 on five felony counts connected to Republican campaigns in Niagara County. Before a trial took place, Maziarz was offered a plea deal – a misdemeanor for a single campaign violation – which he accepted and paid a $1,000 fine.

Last year, Maziarz also claimed that Henry Wojtaszek engaged in a bid-rigging scheme to help Four Points Communications win a Niagara County grant-writing contract in 2012. Wojtaszek later worked for Four Points, earning about $50,000 in fees for work related to grants.

According to a July 21 story published in The Niagara Reporter:

Maziarz claimed that “Wojtaszek improperly pressured county officials in 2014 to deliver the grant writing contract to Four Points.” His accusation, however, reportedly was dismissed by a special prosecutor called in to conduct an extensive investigation.

It also was reported that special prosecutor Monroe County DA Sandra Doorley “found no basis for prosecuting Wojtaszek over claims brought by Maziarz.”

“Doorley was appointed special prosecutor by Justice Paula L. Feroleto, administrative judge of the Eighth Judicial District of State Supreme Court, because Wojtaszek’s wife is the Niagara County district attorney and could not investigate a case involving her husband," according to the published report.

When asked on Thursday about all of this controversy, Henry Wojtaszek told The Batavian it is all because of an “unhinged, vengeful and disgraced politician (Maziarz) with an ax to grind.”

He also said he appreciates the board “taking the time to do an exhaustive investigation at Batavia Downs” and he and his officers are looking forward “to continuing to do the job on behalf of the corporation and the municipalities it serves.”