Two weeks after North Carolina State Auditor Dave Boliek released a report detailing more than $1 million in questionable spending by the Town of Cary, many questions remain about who should be held accountable.

The audit, released July 16, described what Boliek called a “culture of extravagant spending” under former Town Manager Sean Stegall. It found taxpayer money was used for costly video productions, expensive meals, a book about Stegall and other questionable expenses.

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Town leaders have largely placed responsibility on Stegall, who served as Cary’s town manager for nearly a decade before resigning in late 2025. But some residents argue the issues extend beyond a single employee.

“Placing all responsibility on one former employee would be a broad leap of Olympic proportions,” one resident told the Cary Town Council during last week’s meeting.

A separate report commissioned by the Town of Cary and released shortly after the state auditor’s findings pointed to broader internal concerns. The report noted that “risk tends to increase as a [town] manager’s tenure at a particular government lengthens,” highlighting weaknesses in oversight.

Mayor Harold Weinbrecht addressed the audit in a July 26 post on his personal blog, saying he has received “a lifetime of hate via emails” over the report.

“Most believe I was…responsible even if I knew nothing,” Weinbrecht wrote. “(No, I was the whistleblower).”

WRAL has repeatedly asked town leaders, including the mayor and every member of the town council, whether elected officials share responsibility for the problems identified in the audit.

Three council members, all of whom took office after much of the audit’s time frame, responded. They said their focus is on helping the town move forward.

Mayor Weinbrecht has not directly responded to WRAL’s written questions. WRAL was also unable to reach him by phone or in person Thursday.

Since the audit was released, WRAL has submitted nearly 20 public records requests to the Town of Cary seeking records related to the spending identified in the report.

The Cary Town Council is scheduled to meet again at the end of August.