LOCKPORT — Henry Wojtaszek hasn’t responded to requests for comment about the findings of a recent state audit that raised serious questions about the management of Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corp. under his watch.
That all could change as soon as next month.
During Tuesday’s meeting of the Niagara County Legislature, Majority Leader Randy Bradt, R-North Tonawanda, said he’s expecting Wojtaszek to attend an upcoming meeting, possibly in May or June, to answer questions about the audit’s findings and to discuss his current role as the county’s representative on OTB’s Board of Directors.
“In the near future, hopefully as soon as May, we are going to bring (in) Mr. Wojtaszek. It’s going to be an open forum where he can do a Q and A, where it’s open and there can be answers and questions involved,” Bradt said.
The majority leader’s announcement followed a call for greater compliance and transparency at OTB from the legislature’s top Democrat, Minority Leader Jeffrey Elder, D-Niagara Falls.
While he did not mention Wojtaszek by name or publicly request his removal as the county’s OTB board director, Elder said, “Where necessary,” legislators must be willing to “support changes in leadership structure that restore confidence in the institution” of OTB.
“Let me be clear, this is not a routine report,” Elder said. “This audit raises serious concerns about governance, transparency and stewardship of public resources. When public resources are involved, our responsibility is not optional. It is absolute.”
“This is not about politics,” he added. “It’s about principle. Our constituents expect us to ask hard questions, such as are the funds being used appropriately, are the decisions being made in the best interest of the public and is there sufficient transparency in how the entity operates?”
Tuesday marked nearly three weeks since the release of the latest in a series of scathing OTB audits from New York State Comptroller Thomas DiNapoli’s office. The comptroller’s April 1 report determined OTB management and its board failed to adequately plan and monitor the corporation’s financial operations over a four-year period from 2021 to 2024, a period when Wojtaszek still served as president and CEO.
Auditors found OTB made more than $1 million in payments to 14 consultants “without sufficient board approvals” and documented the use by Wojtaszek of more than $1 million in public funds to pay outside lawyers without proper board authorization. The audit also concluded OTB salaries increased by 38% before Wojtaszek stepped down as president and CEO in 2024, taking a $287,000 board-approved buyout with him.
“We determined the board created a lax control environment in which the corporation’s management made key financial decisions with little or no oversight by the board,” state auditors concluded.
Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown replaced Wojtaszek as the corporation’s top executive following a reform effort led by Albany Democrats.
In September, all but two members of the legislature’s Republican majority supported a controversial move to return Wojtaszek to OTB as Niagara County’s board representative. Republicans Chris McKimmie of Niagara Falls and Shawn Foti of Newfane joined the four members of the legislature’s Democratic minority in opposing his appointment.
Niagara County’s Public Information Officer Kevin Schuler, who was appointed to the post by the legislature’s Republican majority, said Tuesday he believes the legislation authorizing the OTB reforms prevents board directors from being replaced prior to the end of their term, which he suggested may preclude any move by county Democrats to boot Wojtaszek from his current post.
“They shouldn’t have put him there to begin with,” Niagara County Democratic Party Chairwoman Anita Mullane said following Tuesday’s meeting.
Neither Wojtaszek nor any members of the legislature’s Republican majority responded to requests for comment following the release of the state audit earlier this month.
Prior to Tuesday’s meeting, Bradt said he had not read the entire audit and had only “read over pieces of it” because, as an accountant, he has been busy in recent weeks with tax season.
When asked if he had any thoughts and the audit’s general findings, Bradt said he would reserve comment until after Wojtaszek had a chance to discuss the issue with legislators during an upcoming meeting.
“I believe all of these questions would be best answered there and be taken care of in that manner,” he said.
Fellow Republican Mike Casale, R-Lewiston, said he did not want to comment on the audit as he only read some of it. Casale did not answer when asked if he thought Wojtaszek should remain the county’s representative on the OTB board.
“I’d rather really have a full understanding of it before I comment,” Casale said when asked about the audit’s general findings.
Following Tuesday’s meeting, Elder said he and his fellow Democrats are prepared to submit a resolution during next month’s meeting that will formally call for Wojtaszek’s resignation as the county’s OTB board representative.
“This is about protecting the taxpayers of Niagara County,” Elder said. “This is about ensuring integrity in public service and this is about doing what is right even when it’s not easy.”