For decades, the Western Regional OTB has been a valued and necessary revenue generator for the rural counties across our region. The proposed changes to the current Western Regional OTB agreement will have dire consequences for not only employees, a majority of which hail from small, rural towns and villages, but for all of the residents of these communities where facilities are located. Albany’s latest attempt to silence the voices of rural Western New York communities is nothing more than a politically-driven power grab, and I am strongly opposed to these changes being included in any budget negotiations.

###