BATAVIA, N.Y. — The Western Regional Off-Track Betting Corporation hopes to have current Buffalo Mayor Byron Brown serving as its president and CEO by its next meetings on Oct. 23 and 24.

The board on Thursday approved a $295,000 annual contract, and Chair Dennis Bassett says he expects Brown to sign the deal but first the state needs to approve his gaming license.

"I think we're just extremely fortunate and we look to continue to grow,” said Bassett. “We look to continue to venture into things that we have not ventured into before."

OTB has asked the state to expedite approval and the Gaming Commission says it has received the application and has "identified no impediment" to his transition upon resignation as mayor.

A spokesperson for Brown says he will have an announcement about his future next week.

Bassett says Brown's relationship with the state Legislature and the governor, as a former state lawmaker and the mayor of New York's second largest city, will be an asset.

"As we look at sports betting, as we look at expansion of our hotel, as we look at some of the things that I think are going to be important for us to have a sustainable growth, and we think that Mayor Brown in the new position can really help us in that area,” said Bassett.

At the same time, the chair is doing his best to downplay politics for an organization oft-criticized as a patronage pit.

He says Brown made clear he plans to run OTB as a corporate entity and not a political one.

"On this board, we make business decisions,” said Bassett. “We make business decisions for 17 municipalities because they're interested in, are we going to write them checks at the end of each month and we continue to write them record-breaking checks each and every month and that's what I'm most proud of."

The board would not release the 18-page contract Thursday, claiming it was inappropriate because Brown has not signed it, but said it would be subject to Freedom of Information requests.

Bassett says the board decided on the salary, which will include still undefined incentives in years two and three, based on the complexity of the operation and with input from consultants.