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Legislature beats Diana in budget suit

| 22 Mar 2013 | 01:59
    Valley View workers attended a press conference with Legislators and the leaders of the CSEA 7900, which represents workers at the home. The staff agreed to freeze wages in an attempt to reduce the costs of the home. Talks between Diana and CSEA leadership have since broken down. (Photo by Joshua Rosenau)
    Valley View workers attended a press conference with Legislators and the leaders of the CSEA 7900, which represents workers at the home. The staff agreed to freeze wages in an attempt to reduce the costs of the home. Talks between Diana and CSEA leadership have since broken down. (Photo by Joshua Rosenau)

GOSHEN — The Orange County Legislature has defeated County Executive Ed Diana's budget in court, ending a months-long legal and political struggle over how the county should fund the public nursing home, Valley View.

Valley View will now be funded through the rest of 2013, as the legislators had intended.

"This is a big victory for Valley View and a big victory for the truth," said Republican Legislator Michael Anagnostakis. "It shows that one man cannot be a dictator."

Democratic Legislator Roxanne Donnery reacted to the news, calling it a ruling in favor of good governance after years of one-man, one-party rule under Diana.

"He was so used to doing whatever he wanted," Donnery said. "Finally, we said 'No.'"

Orysia Dmytrenko, a spokesperson for the county executive, said Friday that Diana was not yet ready to comment.

Diana has long insisted that the nursing home will bankrupt the county, and called the January override "reckless," and that the "emotional, personal, and political agendas of a few legislators have created...dysfunction within the legislature."

The court's ruling comes after lawmakers investigated rising costs at Valley View. Several legislators accused Diana of driving up costs to justify a sale to a private operator. Diana has said repeatedly he intended only to sell the nursing home, not close it. Fighting Diana's plans, the legislators voted to fund Valley View through 2013. Diana chose then to override the legislature and offered funding for a month.

The court decision announced Thursday tosses out Diana's override budget and replaces it with one approved by the legislature, county officials said.

The ruling allows the legislature to adjust county funds going forward, including appropriating emergency funds to Valley View if it runs into financial trouble.

"The legislature controls the budget," Anagnostakis said. "If they came to us, we will direct money from reserve to support it."