Cary invites residents to budget open house amid trust concerns

Cary’s budget open house was less about a routine spending briefing than a test of whether town hall could show residents that the next budget cycle would be harder to misuse, easier to follow and more open to scrutiny after the Sean Stegall controversy.

Town officials held the drop-in session April 7 at the Cary Senior Center Ballroom from 3 to 7 p.m., with a livestream option and a budget presentation replayed throughout the evening. No RSVP was required. Cary said the event was meant to help residents understand not just the numbers in the FY2027 budget, but the process behind them, including how local taxes and fees support town services.

That process matters in Cary because the town operates under a council-manager form of government. The Town Council sets policy, and the town manager recommends the annual budget and oversees operations. That structure put former Town Manager Sean Stegall at the center of the financial scandal that has shadowed town government since he resigned in December 2025 after spending issues surfaced.

State Auditor Dave Boliek said an initial forensic analysis indicated potential criminal activity, and the North Carolina State Bureau of Investigation is reviewing Cary’s finances at the request of Wake County District Attorney Lorrin Freeman. Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht has said the town needs to rebuild trust, and in State of Cary materials the town said staff and council had already been working with the auditor, the SBI and an internal review team to uncover the full truth and strengthen practices, policies and procedures.

The FY2027 budget comes against a clear financial backdrop. Cary’s FY2026 adopted budget totaled $510.9 million, including $420.3 million for operations and $90.7 million for capital projects. The town’s current tax rate is 34.0 cents per $100 of assessed value, which Cary says has been the lowest among Wake County’s 12 municipalities for 18 consecutive years.

Cary says budget talks happen year-round through its rolling budget process, with additional input available through Cary 311 and Public Speaks Out at council meetings. Still, the open house underscored the larger issue now facing town leaders: whether the FY2027 budget will reflect a real shift in oversight and spending priorities, or simply a more public explanation of the same system taxpayers are being asked to trust again.