MHMR CEO Resigns But Will Remain On The Payroll

After a controversial year, Gary Larcenaire, the head of El Paso’s mental health authority, handed in his resignation Monday morning.

But per his contract, he’ll be on the payroll for a while.

According to a clause in his contract, despite taking another job in Salt Lake City, Larcenaire, the nine-year CEO of El Paso Mental Health and Mental Retardation, will receive a year’s salary of $170,000 as a consultant for MHMR over the next 12 months.

“We had some very public disagreements,” County Judge Veronica Escobar said of Larcenaire. “My issue was a contract that I saw as offensive.”

One of those issues was the clause that will pay Larcenaire his base salary for consulting fees despite him taking another job.

“Something you would never see in the private sector, something you should never see in the public sector,” said Escobar, who earlier this year led an effort to change out all the members of the MHMR board, a board she felt was too friendly to Larcenaire. “I had a problem with that contract and the way the board came together to create that contract.”

Commissioner Dan Haggerty, who has been a big supporter of Larcenaire, said he thinks he will be missed.

“We’re finally in a position where this thing is back on track and everything is looking good,” Haggerty said. “Now he’s leaving.

Asked whether he thinks Larcenaire took some unwarranted grief and that led to his departure, Haggerty said, “He did, I felt. I felt people were kind of unjustified in some of their criticism. But, you know, he makes a lot of money.”

ABC-7 also asked Escobar whether some of the moves she made led to Larcenaire leaving.

“I don’t know,” Escobar replied. “You’d have to ask him that.”

ABC-7 tried contacting Larcenaire Monday, but a spokesman for MHMR said he is on vacation this week. Larcenaire’s last day will be early next year.

MHMR board President Mike Wendt said an interim CEO will be announced in the near future.