Rockland Executive Ed Day told News 12 that he “never in a million years” believed he would be leading the county, but he has for the past five years.

“It was slow travel from Brooklyn all the way north to Rockland County, and I wouldn't have it any other way,” he said.

The 67-year-old Republican says when people look back at his time serving the county, they are going to see a county that “almost went under but turned it around” and “exceeded everyone’s wildest imagination.”

The former NYPD lieutenant-commander said when he first came to office in 2014, he had to pull from everything he had learned as a career cop to tackle the biggest budget crisis Rockland had faced in years.

But after Day got the county back in the black, the Haverstraw resident said he encountered an even higher hurdle – measles. He mandated vaccinations when the outbreak was at its highest levels.

“We have the state, the feds now looking at Rockland County as a model to how we address this,” he said.

Day said the biggest challenge the county faces is overdevelopment.

“Hands down, that's the one thing that will destroy this county if not we don't address it,” said Day.

Day told News 12 that he will seek a third term in 2021 but will likely not run for a fourth term.