'Sick, sad and mad': Cary mayor calls decisions by now former town manager Sean Stegall 'disturbing'

Now-former Cary town manager Sean Stegall resigned from his position over the weekend and officials swore in Deputy Town Manager Russ Overton on Monday. Stegall's resignation comes as he was placed on leave in November after a public records request revealed a series of major expenses that much of the town council, including the mayor, say they were unaware of.
Posted 12/15/2025, 11:17:00 PM Updated 12/16/2025, 5:36:17 AM

YOU HAVE THE NOTIFICATIONS

TURNED ON SO YOU RECEIVE

IMPORTANT WEATHER ALERTS RIGHT

TO YOUR PHONE. THERE'S NEW

FALLOUT TONIGHT IN THE WEEKS

LONG FINANCIAL SCANDAL WITHIN

THE KERRY TOWN. GOVERNMENT.

THE MAYOR SAYS NOW FORMER TOWN

MANAGER SEAN STUGGLES DECISIONS

ARE DISTURBING AND AFFECTED

MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN TAXPAYER

MONEY. THE BUREAU'S AARON

MILLER HAS BEEN FOLLOWING THIS

STORY. HE JOINS US LIVE FROM

KERRY. ERIC SPIEGEL RESIGNED

THIS WEEKEND. AND THAT'S NOT

THE ONLY CONSEQUENCE OF HIS

ACTIONS.

>> ABSOLUTELY NOT SAID GERALD

TODAY, KERRY TOWN COUNCIL

ANNOUNCED THAT THEY'VE HIRED A

LAW FIRM TO LOOK INTO STEIDL'S

ACTIONS AND TRY TO FIND ANY

OTHER SIGNS OF WRONGDOING.

THEY'VE ALSO CHANGED POLICIES

TO MAKE SURE THAT IN THE

FUTURE, ALL MEMBERS OF TOWN

COUNCILOR BRIEFED ABOUT MAJOR

FINANCIAL MOVES. AND THERE'S

ALSO THE LOOMING POSSIBILITY

ABOUT A POTENTIAL INVESTIGATION

INTO KERRY'S FINANCES BY THE

STATE AUDITOR.

>> IT WAS AN EMERGENCY MEETING

WITH THE TONE TO MATCH.

>> I'M SICK.

>> MONDAY, MAYOR HAROLD ONE

BRICK LAID OUT THE REASONS

BEHIND NOW FORMER TOWN MANAGER

SEAN STEIDL'S RESIGNATION OVER

THE TOP SPENDING AND INADEQUATE

FINANCIAL REPORTING. THE MAYOR

ALSO POINTED TO A LACK OF

TRANSPARENCY AND AN UNHEALTHY

WORK ENVIRONMENT FROM THE TOWN

STAFF. STENGEL WAS FIRST PLACED

ON PAID LEAVE IN NOVEMBER AFTER

A PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST

REVEALED A SERIES OF MAJOR

EXPENSES. MUCH OF THE TOWN

COUNCIL, INCLUDING THE MAYOR

SAY THEY WERE UNAWARE OF THAT

INCLUDES THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS

SPENT ON 4 STAR HOTELS. 1.3

MILLION DOLLARS LOST TO FRAUD

MORE THAN 1 MILLION DOLLARS

SERIES OF LAND DEALS. MAYOR ONE

BRICK CALLED THE DECISIONS

DISTURBING BUT NOT CRIMINAL.

THERE'S A FUND BALANCE POLICY

THAT WAS BROKEN. IT WAS CLEAR

IN THE PUBLIC RECORDS REQUEST

THAT'S HAPPENED TWICE. STEAGLE

FINALLY RESIGNED OVER THE

WEEKEND AND WILL WALK AWAY WITH

A SEVERANCE PACKAGE WORTH

NEARLY 6 MONTHS SALARY. HOW DO

YOU EXPLAIN HIM STILL WALKING

AWAY WITH $200,000 OR ROUGHLY

$200,000 IN TAXPAYER MONEY?

>> WELL, THAT'S CONTRACTUAL.

A LOT OF THINGS WE DID WAS TO

PROTECT THE TOWN WITH STEIDL

OUT DEPUTY TOWN MANAGER RUSHED

OVER TO WILL STEP IN IN THE

INTERIM.

>> THE DUTIES OF THE OFFENSE.

AS INTERIM TOWN MANAGER OF THE

TOWN OF CARY. SO HELP YOU GOT

TO CONGRATULATIONS. THANK YOU.

>> THAT WE'VE BEEN TRYING TO

REACH OUT TO STEAL, NOT JUST

TODAY, BUT OVER THE LAST

SEVERAL DAYS WE'VE TRIED

CALLING WE'VE TRIED TEXTING,

GOING TO HIS HOUSE, EVEN

SENDING HIM EMAILS AT THIS