Cary Town Manager Sean Stegall has resigned, three weeks after he was placed on paid administrative leave and questions were raised about the town’s spending.
His resignation was announced Monday at an emergency Cary Town Council meeting called by Mayor Harold Weinbrecht.
The decision caps several weeks of mystery as Weinbrecht and other town leaders and staff declined to answer questions and messages about the status of Stegall’s employment. Weinbrecht had cited the state’s personnel law to explain his decision.
Russ Overton, the deputy town manager, is serving as the interim town manager. He was officially sworn in as interim town manager Monday.
Stegall was hired in 2016, previously serving as city manager of Elgin, Ill. He was paid a starting salary of $210,000, The N&O reported at the time. He is listed in state pension system records as making $366,054 last year.
The agreement given to reporters Monday before the meeting states that Stegall would receive a six-month salary severance, totaling $194,832.
Weinbrecht has only said that a public records request revealed “key information” had not been shared with the full council and that “decisions were made without council approval.”
- The News & Observer first reported that Stegall submitted a lost-receipt form for $3,400 spent at a hotel “for multiple staff” during the 2023 International City/County Management Association’s annual conference in Austin. But documents obtained by The N&O show that staff attending the conference stayed at a different hotel.
- The N&O also revealed the town paid $37,397 for Mayor Pro Tem Lori Bush’s tuition for a master’s degree in Northwestern University’s Public Policy Program. Bush told The N&O she repaid the tuition after concerns were raised.
State Auditor Dave Boliek’s office is conducting a “preliminary review” of the situation, a spokesperson confirmed Monday afternoon.
What personnel law says
On Thursday, Cary residents demanded greater transparency and answers, questioning whether they could trust those leading Wake County’s second-biggest municipality of over 191,000 people.
The Cary Town Council met for three hours Thursday in closed session, citing personnel as the reason. Weinbrecht adjourned the meeting shortly after 10 p.m. without taking any action. Council members then left the chambers through a rear door.
On his blog, Weinbrecht noted that recent public comment speakers “bashed” the town and council for not providing information about the manager’s suspension.
“We are not allowed to talk about the town manager’s leave according to state statutes,” he wrote on a blog post Sunday. “Doing so would break the law and could put the town at legal risk. I applaud council colleagues who choose to stay silent and protect the town. It is like being in a fight with both hands behind your back and not being allowed to talk. The truth will come out one day and I, for one, will be glad.”
State law gives state and local governmental entities the discretion to publicly discuss protected personnel matters and release records under what is commonly known as the integrity exemption. It is intended to give government officials the opportunity to show their bodies operate with integrity.
Nathan Collins contributed to this report.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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