GOSHEN – The Orange County Legislature Thursday approved allocating $8.4 million to fund the Valley View nursing home through the end of the year.
A handful of lawmakers wanted to hike that to $14.4 million as originally proposed by County Executive Edward Diana.
Republican Legislator Patrick Berardinelli (R-6) sought the full amount.
“At the end of the year we will be coming back asking for more money and if we do and $8 million is a true number and we don’t need anything more until the end of the year, $6 million of it will stay at Valley View and be available for the 2014 budget,” Berardinelli said.
On the other side of the debate was another Republican, Michael Anagnostakis (R-17), who said the $14.4 million would only be needed if Inter-Governmental Transfer funds did not come through as expected.
“So what we decided was to take it down to the $8.4 million that the accountants confirmed under questioning in two different committees would be the shortfall of the operating budget of that facility and that would get us to the end of the year,” Anagnostakis said.
If that IGT does not come by the end of the year, at that point, the county could seek the additional $6 million, he said.