The CEO of Western Highlands was fired. Western Highlands is the Local Management Entity (LME) overseeing mental healthcare for eight Western North Carolina Counties. Reportedly, the organization was going to run a $3 million deficit caused in part by “overspending” and reimbursing that which ought not to have been.

Mandy Stone, assistant county manager for Buncombe County and a member of the Western Highlands board, said she and other board members were not aware of the budget deficit until they read about it in media outlets.