Cary Addresses State Auditor’s New Investigative Report, Launches Public Progress Dashboard

• In response to the release of the State Auditor's investigative report on Cary, Town officials welcomed the media to a news conference Thursday evening to answer questions.
• Cary has launched a dashboard that will allow the public to track the Town's progress on the Auditor's recommendations and others.
• Residents can read the Town's response and related reports, watch the news conference, and follow Cary's progress at carync.gov/movingforward.

CARY, NC - Cary Town officials held a news conference this evening to answer questions from the media in response to the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor's (OSA) investigative report released earlier today. The investigation was prompted last year by allegations made to the OSA about Cary's former Town Manager, who resigned in December 2025.

"When Town staff brought concerns to the Council last fall, we did not look away. Those concerns led to the former town manager's departure, and they were serious enough that we welcomed the State Auditor's involvement when his office contacted us in November," said Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. "We take this report seriously, and our focus remains on strengthening the policies and practices that guide our work."

Councilmembers and Interim Town Manager Russ Overton addressed the media this evening following OSA's release of its report, which also included Cary's official response. In it, the Town provided additional context, identified actions Cary has completed or initiated, and outlined the work that remains.

"As an organization, we recognize that it's our responsibility to understand what happened, learn how we can help prevent it from happening again, and make sure our operations and culture meet the expectations of our staff and our community," said Overton. "The recommendations from the OSA's report and others help us do exactly that."

For greater insight into Cary's implementation of the recommendations, the Town has launched a Moving Forward Dashboard, which lists recommendations from the State Auditor and other independent reviews, the status of each, and supporting information.

Overton says staff will update the dashboard as milestones are reached and additional information becomes available.

"Some changes are already in place, others are underway, and more work remains," said Overton. "The dashboard gives our community a clear way to see what we have committed to do and how we are following through."

In its response, Cary discusses what actions have already been completed or initiated, including:

• Commissioning an independent review of procurement card spending, financial reporting, oversight, and organizational culture;
• Restoring key financial oversight positions;
• Strengthening procurement card controls;
• Updating procurement, contracting, travel, and reimbursement procedures;
• Increasing financial reporting to the Town Council and community;
• Expanding public access to Town Council meetings;
• Adopting Cary's first anti-retaliation policy;
• Improving documentation of decisions and approvals; and
• Updating financial and administrative procedures throughout the organization.

The State Auditor's report is one of several independent efforts Cary is using to guide its path forward.

North Carolina law requires every local government to undergo an annual independent financial audit. Cary used its fiscal year 2025 audit as part of its broader moving-forward effort. At Council's request, the external auditor, Cherry Bekaert LLP, performed additional work related to concerns about procurement cards and travel and training expenses. The findings and recommendations were presented to Council on February 5.

In January, Council hired outside law firm Womble Bond Dickinson to conduct a Special Commission review of procurement card use, reimbursements and expenditures, financial reporting, and organizational culture. Council received the final Cary Council Special Commission Report on July 14. A representative from the firm is scheduled to formally present its findings at the July 23 regular Council meeting.

Recommendations from the annual independent audit, the Cary Council Special Commission Report and the State Auditor's investigative report are included in the Moving Forward Dashboard, giving residents a singular place to review the findings and follow Cary's implementation work.

"While the former town manager's actions created challenges that Cary must address, they do not define our organization or diminish the strength we have built over many years. Cary remains financially sound, operationally strong, and supported by an exceptional staff," said Mayor Weinbrecht. "The Council and staff are committed to addressing these recommendations with the professionalism, transparency, and accountability our residents expect and deserve."

Review the Town's response and related reports, watch the full news conference, and follow implementation 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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