BATAVIA, N.Y. (WKBW) — It's been nearly a year since Byron Brown left City Hall after serving as Buffalo's longest-tenured mayor.
Brown, now the President and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting, is leading the operating agency at Batavia Downs Gaming and Racetrack.
Since taking the helm, Brown has worked to reform some of the agency's controversial policies, addressing scrutiny over personnel and financial decisions in recent years.
"The board passed all of those reforms to add to transparency," said Brown.
According to Investigative Post, Brown received a 3% raise last month. That brings his salary to approximately $303,850, making him one of the highest-paid OTB leaders in New York State.
Brown noted that under his leadership, expenses are down, profits are up and visits to Batavia Downs have increased.
7 News political analyst Bob McCarthy acknowledged Brown's administrative skills, saying, "There's no question that Byron Brown knows how to run a shop. He's been running New York's second-largest city for many years."
While Brown has been reshaping OTB, his departure from City Hall left a vacuum in Buffalo politics — one that's already influencing the race for mayor this November.
McCarthy noted that, although Brown is no longer in office, "his actions are still very much a part not only of this race but of the agenda at City Hall as they try to deal with a real, serious budget deficit."
On the ballot are Democratic nominee Sean Ryan, Republican nominee James Gardner and Michael Gainer, running on the independent line.
"I don't know anybody who doesn't predict that there will be a new mayor, and that'll be Sean Ryan," McCarthy said. "Simply because of the overwhelmingly Democratic advantage."
WATCH: Nearly one year out of City Hall, Byron Brown shapes politics from OTB
"I certainly will do everything that I can to support the person who is elected the next mayor of the city of Buffalo," Brown said.
In just a matter of months, Buffalo will have a new mayor — a race many will be watching closely.
"The time is one for us all to watch, be aware, and know that this is a very crucial time in the city's history," McCarthy said.
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