STEPHEN T. WATSON

News Staff Reporter

Henry Wojtaszek, whose tenure as former head of Western Regional Off -Track Betting attracted criticism for patronage hiring and lavish spending on perks, is in line to return to the agency a little over one year after he resigned with a generous severance package − this time as a member of the corporation's board.

The former Niagara County Republican chair appears poised to fill the OTB board vacancy created when Niagara County's representative, Elliott Winter, resigned last week.

Wojtaszek served as president and CEO of Western Regional OTB from 2016 to 2024, before resigning with a $299,000 severance payout that spurred outrage from Democratic lawmakers. The board in September voted to hire then-Buff alo Mayor Byron Brown to replace Wojtaszek.

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