By By Stephen T. Watson News Staff Reporter,Stephen T. Watson

Copyright buffalonews

Henry Wojtaszek, whose tenure as president and CEO of Western Regional Off-Track Betting drew criticism for patronage hiring and spending on perks for insiders, will return to the organization as a member of its board.

The Niagara County Legislature on Tuesday evening voted 10-5 to appoint Wojtaszek as the county’s representative on the 17-member board, a county spokesman reported. The legislature’s three Democrats were opposed, along with two Republicans.

Wojtaszek will fill the remaining two years of the term of Elliott Winter, who had represented Niagara County on the OTB board for nine years. Winter announced his resignation in late August, telling his colleagues and media outlets that he wanted to spend more time with his family and tending to his Williamsville jewelry business.

Wojtaszek previously told The Buffalo News he was encouraged by former OTB colleagues and other professional contacts to seek the Niagara County seat on the organization’s board.

He said he was interested in pursuing the appointment because he has a wealth of experience and institutional knowledge that he believes could benefit the agency.

Wojtaszek is a former Niagara County Republican chairman, and the County Legislature is controlled by his fellow Republicans.

Critics, including many Democratic lawmakers, previously decried Wojtaszek’s potential return to OTB, saying it would detract from progress the organization has made since Wojtaszek’s departure.

OTB oversees off-track betting sites, as well as Batavia Downs, with its video gaming casino floor, hotel and live horse harness racing.

The money the corporation takes in supports its operations, with hundreds of thousands of dollars also distributed annually to 15 county governments and the cities of Buffalo and Rochester.

Wojtaszek joined the Western Regional OTB in 2010 as its general counsel and was named president and CEO six years later.

Wojtaszek’s supporters pointed to OTB’s growth in revenue under his stewardship. He also was the public face of the organization in TV commercials plugging Batavia Downs.

But the regional OTB came under scrutiny from elected leaders and government watchdogs. They objected to what they considered a lack of transparency and to the pay and perks – such as health insurance and Bills and Sabres tickets – given to politically connected board appointees over the years.

The OTB then was dominated by board members representing rural, conservative counties. Amid criticism of OTB excesses, Albany Democrats in 2023 approved changes that gave greater power to board members from more populated, Democratic-leaning communities.

This led, in 2024, to the departure of Wojtaszek and two other senior OTB leaders, who received severance pay worth more than $500,000 combined.

Former Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown was named OTB chief one year ago. Wojtaszek left the organization at the end of 2024.

Wojtaszek told The News earlier this month that he had no interest in getting his old job back.

Board members can earn up to $4,000 annually, plus reimbursement for mileage and other official expenses, according to the agency, with the chairman earning $1,000 extra.