Orange County Executive Ed Diana has named a new commissioner for Valley View. Diana says his appointee has more than a decade of experience. Our Eva McKend has more on the selection and what it means for the future of the county-run nursing home.

  To view our videos, you need to
enable JavaScript. Learn how.
install Adobe Flash 9 or above. Install now.

Then come back here and refresh the page.

GOSHEN, N.Y. -- Orange County Executive Ed Diana has named Laurence LaDue the new commissioner for Valley View. LaDue will run the day to day operations of the nursing home.

It won't change much in terms of the ongoing fight between the executive and the legislature. Diana says if they don't agree on a private corporation to buy and operate the facility that's costing the county millions, it will have to go.

"He knows what he has to do. He has to go there, run the facility. I still have to sell it. We have a great buyer left that still has his offer on the table. I think that’s the way we should go. I’m going to push for that sale, immediately. I will close it if I have to," said Diana.

LaDue is already at work at Valley View. Although the county legislature must approve Diana's appointment, LaDue can operate in his position pending that approval for at least 30 days. Diana says he believes the highly qualified candidate will be confirmed.

"It would be a travesty if it didn’t. It would be something again wrong for Orange County and for our future. This person should be approved," said Diana.

The approval of the new commissioner may not necessarily be so swift with at least one legislator calling for more information.

"I want to see information on every single candidate. I won’t just trust that the executive is picking the best. This guy might be the best or he might not be the best, we need to find the best candidate and based on the executive’s track record of what he wants to do at Valley View, I won’t just rubber stamp his selection," said republican Orange County Legislator Mike Anagnostakis.

Diana argues information was provided throughout the transparent process, which included two county legislators in every single interview for the position. The legislature will make their decision in the coming weeks.