Wake County GOP: Cary should not pay severance to former town manager

Cary’s ousted town manager should not receive almost $200,000 in severance pay until state auditors finish their look into the town’s finances, says the Wake County Republican Party.

Wake local GOP leaders also want the town’s Mayor Pro Tem to resign after it was revealed she used town money to pay for a graduate degree, $37,397 that town records show that she repaid in full by early December.

The county GOP’s statements come after former Town Manager Sean Stegall resigned late last year under pressure from town leaders.

Stegall was placed on leave on Nov. 20 for “over-the-top spending,” insufficient financial reporting, a lack of transparency and an “unhealthy work environment,” as described by a post on Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht’s blog.

As a result, the town hired the law firm Womble Bond Dickinson to investigate internally. The state auditor’s office has also started a review of what happened under Stegall’s management.

GOP: Why pay severance?

The town is on the hook to pay $194,832 in severance pay, according to a News & Observer review of Stegall’s contract.

Weinbrecht said the town had no choice but to sign a release agreement with Stegall. Not only did it include the severance package, it also prohibits Stegall from suing the city after he resigned.

In a press release, Wake GOP Chairwoman Sandy Joiner is calling for that money to be returned until the state auditor finishes its investigation.

“Stegall’s contract cites that severance pay may be withheld if he is found guilty of moral turpitude or criminal conduct,” Joiner wrote in the release. “However, the auditor’s investigation remains ongoing.”

Regarding town spending for the Northwestern University program, emails obtained by The N&O show Stegall forwarded a promotional email about the master’s program to Mayor Pro Tem Lori Bush and suggested they take the program together.

The town spent $37,397 for Bush’s Northwestern master’s degree, The News & Observer has reported. While Bush repaid the money, the Wake County GOP said she did it “because of potential public backlash.”

In response to the Wake GOP, Bush told The N&O that she has no plans to resign. ”Cary voters entrusted me with this role, and I remain committed to doing the work they elected me to do,” she wrote in an email.

“I know many in the community still have confidence in my leadership, and I don’t take that for granted,” wrote the at-large council member, adding: “There may be more partisan statements, but my focus is on strengthening and rebuilding trust among our Cary residents through openness, stronger policies, and focusing on the issues that matter most to them.”

Cary town council races are nonpartisan. But the Wake County Board of Elections lists Lori Tanya Bush of Cary as a registered Democrat. A town council member since 2011, Bush has been endorsed by the county Democratic Party.

Dramatic disclosures in Cary

An anonymous public records request submitted last year in September was the spark that has revealed unusual spending by the town of Cary — including Bush’s tuition payments. But it was only the start.

Cary residents have taken to social media to voice their concerns. Many have also reached out to The N&O with allegations of spending and management problems in Cary’s town hall, which led to other discoveries, including: The town had spent a $1 million to purchase land during Stegall’s tenure without the full town council’s knowledge. Stegall spent thousands on an upscale hotel in Austin, Texas — and payments for a “premium door-to-door chauffeur service,” The N&O reported.

The town also spent $539,896 for two trolley-like vehicles under Stegall’s management that could not be used because they didn’t meet federal disability accessibility standards. That’s after three staff members took a trip out of state to inspect and test-ride the vehicles, according to a post on Mayor Weinbrecht’s blog.

The N&O reached out to Weinbrecht for answers about what went wrong, but the mayor didn’t respond. Instead, the mayor discussed the paper’s reporting about the trolleys on his personal blog.

Stegall sent “unqualified” staff members to inspect and test-ride the two trolley cars the town bought, Weinbrecht wrote after The N&O published a story about the vehicles, which were sold to a California organization at a loss to the town.

Call to action

Wake GOP’s press release was issued days before the Cary Town Council is set to have a budget work session and its regular council meeting on Thursday. The conservative political group is urging residents to show up and voice their concerns to elected officials.

The GOP group also challenged the Wake County Democratic Party to speak up about the documented problems in Cary.

In response on Tuesday, Wesley Knott, chair of the Wake County Democratic Party, stressed that his group gives endorsements only to candidates who sign an agreement that includes “commitments to ethical and responsible conduct, transparent governance, fiscal responsibility, and placing the welfare of our communities above personal gain.”

“Elected officials who do not live up to those expectations should be held accountable, and personnel decisions should be left to the town to address through its established legal processes,” Knott wrote in an email.

“Wake Dems will wait to review the findings of the independent firm hired by the town and the state auditor’s office before offering further comment,” he added.

Starting Monday, a subset of town residents will have the opportunity to give town leaders feedback. Consultants hired by the town are scheduled to begin Cary’s “Biennial Citizen Satisfaction Survey.”

Randomly selected Cary residents, more than 400, will be asked their opinion on how well their local government is running.

The survey will run from Jan. 12 through the end of February, according to a Tuesday press release from the town.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This story was updated Tuesday to include comments from Cary Mayor Pro Tem Lori Bush and Wesley Knott, chair of the Wake County Democratic Party.

This story was originally published January 6, 2026 at 2:20 PM.

Nathan Collins

The News & Observer

Nathan Collins is an investigative reporter at The News & Observer. He started his career in public radio where he earned statewide recognition for his accountability reporting in Dallas, Texas. Collins is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and a former professional musician.