Cary calls emergency meeting to swear in interim town manager

Update: Cary town manager resigns amid scrutiny over spending. For more, see this story.

Cary leaders will hold an emergency meeting Monday to appoint and swear-in an interim town manager.

The meeting comes more than three weeks after Town Manager Sean Stegall was placed on paid, administrative leave and questions were raised about the town’s spending.

State Auditor Dave Boliek’s office is conducting a “preliminary review” of the situation, a spokesperson confirmed Monday afternoon.

Town leaders and staff have not responded to questions and messages left about the status of Stegall’s employment.

Mayor Harold 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.

Stegall was hired in 2016, previously serving as city manager of Elgin, Ill. He is listed in state pension system records as making $366,054 last year.

Nathan Collins contributed to this report.

This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.

This story was originally published December 15, 2025 at 11:49 AM with the headline "Cary calls emergency meeting to swear in interim town manager."

Anna Roman

The News & Observer

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Anna Roman is a service journalism reporter for the News & Observer. She has previously covered city government, crime and business for newspapers across North Carolina and received many North Carolina Press Association awards, including first place for investigative reporting.