In the Valley View auditors’ words: 'Doing a great job'

1831-2017, and still counting.
Known by different names over time, Valley View Nursing Home and Rehabilitation Center has persevered to serve as a “home,” Orange County-owned and Orange County-run. This week, the auditors had only praise for the remarkable fiscal turnaround that continues to amaze, given the dire scenario of a few years ago painted by those who were planning to sell it.
The back story of Valley View’s economic woes began to emerge as the county legislature convened an investigative committee charged to probe the truth and empowered to call witnesses to testify. And the research that I did into Valley View’s history was published. What Valley View Has Meant to Orange County examined six fields: The People, The History, The Politics, The Money Talk, The Union is Willing, The RFP. With the combined information uncovered, Valley View’s financial picture became more clear. We called for “TWO MORE YEARS” of funding to be able to turn around the problems exposed. Then, a new County Executive and new members on the Legislature were insecure again about Valley View’s economics, and put Valley View in the hands of a LDC charged to sell it.
Five final bidders were at the door with plans for Valley View, and offered up their already owned nursing homes for us to explore, so that we could choose a new owner. Roxanne Donnery and I travelled to every site offered for observation, including one near Pittsburgh PA. And, those of us who listened carefully to what the buyers would do to Valley View, developed new insight and appreciation of OUR Valley View’s spacious physical buildings, glorious landscape and surroundings, and other enhancing possibilities for future growth. These were all things the County itself could implement!
Today we are accepting accolades for a financial turnaround, happy to hear that IGT State Funding has been extended into 2019, and looking forward to while planning for the future of Valley View to remain County-Owned and County-Run.
Myrna Kemnitz
Orange County Legislator
Representing the Village and Town of Monroe