Cary Town Council Receives Special Commission Report Presentation, Continues Work to Strengthen Oversight and Accountability

• Womble Bond Dickinson presented its completed Special Commission Report at the Cary Town Council's regular meeting Thursday.
• In January, Council commissioned the outside law firm's independent review, which has resulted in 21 new recommendations addressing financial accountability, transparency and oversight, and workplace culture and governance.
• The report helps to define the path forward and affirm the foundation of an organization that is financially strong, operationally capable, and served by dedicated employees. Track the Town's progress on recommendations at carync.gov/movingforward.

CARY, NC - On Thursday evening, the Cary Town Council heard directly from the firm that conducted its special commissioned review examining procurement card transactions and reimbursements, financial reporting to Council, and the Town's workplace environment during the period from July 1, 2021, through November 20, 2025. The outside law firm Womble Bond Dickinson (WBD) found "operational failures" in each area, with the former Town Manager "contributing directly or indirectly and in significant ways, to those failures." The firm presented 21 recommendations to strengthen financial accountability, transparency, oversight, and workplace governance.

The presentation at the regular Council meeting came one week after the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor released its separate report on Cary, which detailed related issues and included 13 recommendations.

"The State Auditor's report does an excellent job of explaining 'the what' that occurred during the tenure of our previous Town Manager, and this Womble Bond Dickinson report provides valuable insight into 'the how' these events happened and 'the why' they occurred," said Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. "We are committed to creating meaningful and lasting change, and we must understand and address all three: the what, the how, and the why."

Council commissioned WBD in January 2026 to conduct a comprehensive review of actions taken or directed by former Town Manager Sean Stegall, as well as the systems and workplace conditions surrounding those actions. Stegall resigned on December 13, 2025, nearly a month after Council placed him on administrative leave.

"This review was commissioned by Council to develop a fuller understanding of what occurred and identify the changes needed to strengthen the organization," said Cary Town Attorney Lisa Glover, in introducing the outside law firm's presentation. "Its recommendations provide Council and staff with a clear framework for improving accountability, oversight, and workplace governance."

The Moving Forward Dashboard on the Town's website, launched on July 14, 2026, tracks progress on recommendations from WBD's report, the State Auditor, and Cary's annual independent financial auditor, Cherry Bekaert, who presented its report to Council on February 5. Progress is underway on many of the recommendations. The cost to build the dashboard, including staff time and technology resources, was less than $500.

Review the reports and follow Cary's progress on implementing recommendations at carync.gov/movingforward.

Primary Contacts

For questions, visit carync.gov/311, dial 311 anywhere in Cary, call (919) 469-4000 from outside Town limits or email [email protected].

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