Cary residents demand answers, transparency as town spending draws scrutiny
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- Residents demanded transparency after Town Manager Sean Stegall was placed on leave.
- Reporting exposed a $3,419.35 hotel charge and a $37,397 tuition payment.
- Citizens urged independent audit, clearer policies and possible council term limits.
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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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Cary residents demanded greater transparency Thursday night, their first opportunity to address town leaders since Town Manager Sean Stegall was placed on administrative leave and town spending has come under scrutiny.
Town leaders have not explained why Stegall was placed on paid leave after a Nov. 20 council meeting. Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said earlier this week that “while I would like to provide more details about the manager's leave, state law currently prevents me from doing so.”
The council entered into a closed session for three hours, citing personnel reasons, but adjourned the meeting shortly after 10 p.m. without taking any action. Council members then left the chambers through a rear door.
Thursday, residents came before the full council asking for answers, questioning whether they could trust those leading Wake County’s second-biggest municipality of over 191,000 people.
“It’s not right,” said Rebecca Lancer during the public comment portion of the Town Council meeting. “I implore you to do the right thing. You should be doing the right thing anyway, not when the sunlight hits and there’s a lot of people struggling.”
Earlier Thursday, The News & Observer reported Stegall submitted a lost-receipt form for $3,400 spent at the Hotel Van Zandt “for multiple staff.”
But other documents obtained by The N&O show other staff members stayed at a different hotel. And a bill obtained from The N&O from the hotel where Stegall stayed shows that exact amount billed to his room. His missing receipt report and the hotel bill both show a $3,419.35 total expense.
The story came after The N&O reported last week that the town had paid $37,397 for Mayor Pro Tem Lori Bush’s tuition for a master’s degree in Northwestern University’s Public Policy Program. Bush repaid the funds after a public records request revealed not all Town Council members knew about the payment.
“I’m really concerned that maybe there’s stuff going on that has not had the light of day shining on it yet,” Lancer said. “How much of this is going on that we don’t know about? My tax bill keeps going up, and it’s making it very difficult to stay here.”
Stegall, who was hired in 2016, has not responded to multiple phone calls and emails. No one answered when a reporter visited his home last week. He is listed in state pension system records as making $366,054 last year.
Ex-council candidates address town leaders
Two of Thursday’s speakers were former Republican Cary Town Council candidates, Renee Miller and Marjorie Eastman, who lost their election bids in November.
“The citizens of Cary cannot trust their council,” Miller said. “The mayor spoke on Tuesday night at the work session about trust. He said, ‘You have to trust each other on the council, so that the staff and citizens will trust you.’
“With all that has happened in the last few weeks, it should be impossible for you to trust each other. Clearly, we citizens cannot trust you, nor should we. How could you allow the things that are coming out in press. Why did it take outside information requests to uncover malfeasance, policy violations and lies?”
She called on those who agreed with her to stand in the Council Chambers, with about 16 people standing.
Gregg Naclerio called for greater transparency surrounding the tuition reimbursement, an independent audit and for the town leaders to consider term limits.
On Thursday, Bush shared a statement about the tuition funding payment on her Facebook page.
“A senior staff leader had told me that all Council members would be informed, and I relied on that assurance from a trusted person,” Bush said. “I regret not following up with each member myself to ensure they heard it directly from me. Also, the total cost of Northwestern’s program is high and, in hindsight, exceeded what is reasonable for me to ask our taxpayers to pay for, for professional development. Looking back, I recognize that accepting the reimbursement was a mistake.”
One person submitted a written public comment in support of Stegall. Jordan Odle said he was a former town employee who had never spoken to or met Stegall before.
“They also thank local public safety personnel and the mayor for their service, and emphasize the pride in the town of Cary,” said Town Clerk Virginia Johnson, reading Odle’s written comment.
This story was originally published December 11, 2025 at 10:22 PM.
