Cary residents are calling for accountability after a state audit detailed more than $1 million in questionable spending under former Town Manager Sean Stegall. The 2,600-page report, released by the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor, found weaknesses in Cary’s financial controls, inadequate documentation, and a culture of weak oversight by the town’s elected leaders.
Audit Findings
The audit highlighted spending on behalf of council members, including expensive meals without clear business purposes, hotel cancellation fees, and more than $121,000 spent on video production for a 2024 retreat. Residents questioned why those expenses were not flagged earlier.
“I would love the refund,” said Tracy Filomena, a Cary resident of 31 years. Council members acknowledged residents’ frustration but said the town cannot recover money that has already been spent.
Response from Town Leaders
The town council voted to raise residents’ property taxes 8% last month, saying they need the additional money to hire new police and fire staff, and blaming Stegall for not telling them those departments needed more help. Mayor Harold Weinbrecht and interim Town Manager Russ Overton wrote that the findings exposed “gaps in oversight, process, and culture” and that Cary has a responsibility to identify how those failures occurred.
Original reporting: WRAL Raleigh — read the source article.
