CARY — Cary officials held a news conference last week in response to the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor’s investigative report. The investigation was prompted last year by allegations made to the OSA about Cary’s former town manager who resigned in December.

“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,” Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said. “We take this report seriously, and our focus remains on strengthening the policies and practices that guide our work.”

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,” Overton said. “The recommendations from the OSA’s report and others help us do exactly that.”

For greater insight into Cary’s implementation of the recommendations, it 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.

Actions that already been completed or initiated:

* 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

* Updating financial and administrative procedures throughout the organization.

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 on Feb. 5.

In January, the 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. It received the final Cary Council Special Commission Report on July 14. A representative from the firm will formally present its findings at the July 23 regular council meeting.

“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,” Weinbrecht said. “The council and staff are committed to addressing these recommendations with the professionalism, transparency, and accountability our residents expect and deserve.”

Visit carync.gov/movingforward.

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