Before Cary town manager’s leave, he and town hall celebrated his leadership
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- Cary placed town manager Sean Stegall on paid administrative leave in late November.
- Town officials cited undisclosed documents and decisions made without council approval.
- Stegall’s leadership was previously promoted by the town and by his website.
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Cary under scrutiny
The town of Cary has been in the spotlight since late November, when Town Manager Sean Stegall was put on administrative leave without any explanation from the town. Stegall resigned Dec. 13, 2025, amid reports of questionable spending. Here is ongoing coverage from The News & Observer.
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Sean Stegall kept a low profile after suddenly being placed on paid leave from his job as Cary town manager in late November. That’s a stark contrast from efforts he and others made to promote his visibility beforehand.
Stegall is lauded as a “change-agent” on the town’s website. Stegall’s own website celebrates his “more than a quarter-century of experience to successfully address the greatest challenges and opportunities for America’s local governments.”
Video clips of Stegall speaking, often about leadership, on his website feature him sharing thoughts on a range of topics from World War II to advice on building good relationships with town council members and trust in government.
And he’s written a book, promoted on the town’s website, called “Top of the Arc.” Chapters include: “Shaping the Future,” “Getting the Culture Right,” “Consensus Building and Development” and “How to be a Good Town Manager.”
Stegall started his local government career in smaller communities, including Batavia, New York, and St. Charles and Elgin, both in Illinois, prior to taking the town manager position in Cary in 2016.
In his book, he stresses he long ago wanted a career in local government. Not as mayor, or a council member but as a city manager.
The book recounts Stegall realizing that “at a ridiculously young” age, after witnessing his hometown mayor’s car swerving on the road: “My father told me not to worry: ‘The town manager is really the one who runs things.’”
Also written: “Suddenly, I wasn’t thinking about our mayor crashing; I was thinking about this job where someone was more powerful than a mayor.”
In late November, Stegall was placed on administrative leave. While town officials said little publicly regarding why, Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said this, in reference to a public records request made to the town:
“A public request submitted several weeks ago produced receipts, emails and other documents that revealed certain key information had not been shared with me or with the full council, and that decisions were made without council approval,” Weinbrecht said.
At an emergency meeting Monday afternoon, Weinbrecht announced that Stegall had resigned. And for the first time, the mayor explained why.
He cited Stegall’s “over-the-top spending and inadequate financial reporting,” lack of transparency and an “unhealthy work environment” for the town’s 1,300-plus employees, The News & Observer reported. The town has hired Womble Bond Dickinson Law Firm to further investigate “Sean’s activities and the things he’s directed staff to do,” Weinbrecht said.
Here are details on Stegall’s responsibilities as town manager and more:
What does the job entail?
- Stegall has been identified as “chief executive officer” of the town — one of only three staff members hired by, and reporting directly to, the council.
- Responsibilities: Oversee 1,328 town employees and a total budget of over $500 million, according to Cary’s adopted Fiscal Year 2026 budget. They serve a population of over 182,000, according to the U.S. Census annual population estimates from 2024.
- Stegall was paid a starting salary of $210,000, The N&O reported at the time. That salary increased to $381,264 in the last decade, according to data obtained in a public records request.
- In comparison: Raleigh City Manager Marchell Adams-David earns $416,029 to oversee a government serving almost half a million people. And in Charlotte, which has a population of 943,476, City Manager Marcus Jones is paid $480,229, according to 2025 salary data.
More about his book
- “Top of the Arc,” published in August of this year, is in part about “local governments and the people they serve building the future together in more innovative, adaptive, and efficient ways,” Stegell writes in the preface.
- While Stegall is listed as the author, the Town of Cary owns the book’s copyright.
- Stegall’s book is on sale for $21.99 on the Town of Cary’s online store — along with Cary branded backpacks, mugs and golf balls.
What was Stegall’s training?
- Stegall earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from Western Illinois University and a master’s degree in public administration from Northern Illinois University, the two institutions confirmed to The N&O.
This story was originally published December 15, 2025 at 2:02 PM.
