A committee of Cary Town Council members is set to meet Tuesday evening as fallout continues from a recent state auditor’s report that revealed “questionable” spending of taxpayer dollars.
For the first time, the committee will meet to discuss recommendations stemming from several reviews of Cary’s financial practices, including the state audit.
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The state auditor’s report, released in July, uncovered what officials have called an extravagant spending culture in Cary. Flagged expenses included expensive meals and travel costs, costly video production and a council member car allowance of more than $9,000 a year.
In response to the audit, Cary officials have said concerns about gaps in oversight, processes and culture stem from the actions of former Town Manager Sean Stegall. Town staff say they have already begun taking steps to increase transparency following Stegall’s departure in late 2025.
The Town of Cary has launched an online dashboard where the public can track its progress in implementing nearly 40 recommendations that town officials say will improve oversight.
As of Tuesday afternoon, the dashboard showed just over 5% completion in implementing the changes.
The committee will discuss council-related recommendations, including approved expenses for allowances and travel, according to an agenda posted on the town’s website. Members are also set to discuss items related to training and a code of ethics.
“I think it’s important, very important that we have transparency on everything that’s been uncovered,” Cary resident Michael Green said. “I think people need to know what happened, and then, I think we need to know what are they doing to prevent recurrence.”
Neighboring towns in recent weeks have also discussed how taxpayer dollars are spent as calls for accountability and transparency grow.
Directly referencing Cary’s recent financial news, Apex’s town manager last month provided an update on the use of town-issued credit cards, also known as P-cards.
Town Manager Randy Vosburg said Apex’s P-card spending totaled $2.7 million in fiscal year 2026. He noted that the percentage of town employees with a P-card mirrored the state average of 16%.
“Some of our neighbors have reported a number that’s much higher than that, but we’re at 16%,” Vosburg said during an Aug. 11 Town Council meeting.
The state auditor’s report said P-card prevalence among Cary town employees was far higher than the state average and contributed to spending problems.
Meanwhile, the Local Government Commission, a state oversight body, announced that it has placed additional financial oversight measures on Cary and some other North Carolina towns based on recent audit reports.
“Financial concerns should be taken seriously regardless of the size of the local government,” North Carolina State Treasurer Brad Briner said in a news release.
The Cary Town Council committee meeting is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday.
