Things are going from bad to worse for former Cary, North Carolina town manager Sean Stegall.
In this issue, I will give you an in-depth update of where things currently stand. And there are another 30+ articles with news from around the country after the job postings.
Job Board Postings
City/County Manager Recruitments
CO: Craig - City Manager (Until Filled) | in-house
IA: Cedar Falls - City Administrator (1/30/2026) | CB-Assoc
TX: Lamesa - City Manager (1/16/2025) | Clear Career
TX: Nederland - City Manager (1/23/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Surfside Beach - City Administrator (1/30/2025) Clear Career
VA: Hopewell - City Manager (First Review 1/16/2026) CB & Assoc.
Other
PA: Cranberry Township - Director of Utilities (2/9/2026) | in-house
TX: Dumas - Finance Director (12/12/2025) | Clear Career
TX: Liberty - Assistant Police Chief (1/9/2025) | Clear Career
TX: Marble Falls - Finance Director (2/7/2026) | Clear Career
TX: Wichita Falls - Chief Building Official (1/20/2026) | Clear Career
NC: Criminal investigation into former Cary town manager officially open, DA confirms
Multiple organizations, including the State Bureau of Investigation, are now examining spending under former Cary Town Manager Sean Stegall, who resigned in December after being placed on involuntary leave. This includes his expense reports, credit card purchases, and questions about the $150,000 the town spent to publish and market his book, "The Top of the Arc."
Lavish Expenses & Questionable Charges
When news started filtering out in November, there were questions about Stegall's expensing of luxury transportation services and hotel charges for the ICMA Conference in Austin as well as the purchase of two parcels of land. There were also questions about a councilmember who had their master's degree fully paid for by the taxpayers to the tune of $37,000.
As the story has unfolded, his expenses are being meticulously examined by state officials, local law enforcement, citizen watchdogs, and the media. The local paper reports that items purchased with the town's credit card were shipped to Stegall's home and that other expenses included lavish meals with the mayor who has since distanced himself from Stegall and sharply criticized the former town manger.
Book lauding Cary’s ex-town manager as ‘change-agent’ cost the town over $150K
Stegall’s book cost Cary taxpayers around $155,000. A ghostwriter was paid $72,500 to help pen the tome on "good governance" and "disruptive leadership." Additionally, $19,521.14 was spent on an ICMA booth and for staff travel to the ICMA Tampa Conference in October where only three copies of the book were sold.
On top of that, Stegall spent $10,000 to get an article about his book published in "Public Management Magazine" published by the ICMA. This article provides an itemized breakdown of the book expenses.
Mayor Severs Ties with Consulting Firm; Assistant Town Manager Resigns
This week, Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht announced he was ending his consulting contract with a civil engineering firm in the wake of the Stegall allegations. The firm had done business with the town in the past, however, the mayor has adamantly maintained that he never worked on any of those projects.
Additionally, Assistant Town Manager and Chief Innovation Officer Dan Ault resigned his position on January 8th. There has been no hint or suggestion of impropriety on the part of Ault who was recruited to Cary by Stegall back in 2016. Ault had worked for Stegall when he was the city manager in Elgin, Illinois.
News Around the Country
AZ: Chandler city manager’s ‘bet’ early on paid off
CO: Elizabeth town administrator resigns
GA: Braselton city manager placed on leave; will depart organization after 30 years
GA: Preliminary investigation found no probable cause for nepotism allegations against Henry County Manager Cheri Hobson-Matthews
IL: Palos Park Village Manager Rick Boehm set to retire
KS: City manager in letter: Manhattan is not a sanctuary city and will comply with ICE demands
MA: Harwich officials have selected Middleboro Town Manager James McGrail as their new town administrator
MI: Bay City manager Dana Muscott to retire in March
MO: The City of Creve Coeur lures away Crestwood's city administrator
MO: Email shows Poplar Bluff city manager knew of offer to keep downtown board; council says it was kept in the dark
NC: Spring Hope town manager's contract won't be renewed
NH: Chichester loses third town administrator in one year
NY: Christina Marks named Sussex County’s first female administrator
OH: Marysville City Manager Terry Emery announced he is leaving the city later this year
OH: Search for a new Steubenville City Manager continues after candidates drop out
OR: Beaverton city manager tapped to lead Eugene
OR: Madras City Administrator Will Ibershof resigns effective immediately
NJ: Governor Phil Murphy signed into law The New Jersey First Responders Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Protection Act, which provides employment protections for paid first responders diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder under certain conditions
SC: Darlington City Council reaches settlement with city manager; appears she will soon be out
SC: Embezzlement charge against former Hampton County administrator dismissed
SC: Lake City administrator issues bombshell financial report ahead of community meeting
SC: Newberrry County's new administrator is the deputy county administrator for Lexington County
TX: Judge signs restraining order against Progreso, keeping city manager in place
TX: Progreso bought $13,000 BBQ pit from city manager’s brother
TX: Salado stalls records requests after DA declines to prosecute former administrator; cites ‘no evidence’ of alleged misappropriated $945,000
TX: Salado terminates the contract for Village Administrator Manuel De La Rosa
TX: Former Sullivan City manager charged with theft
VT: Brighton's Selectboard accepted Town Manager Noah Bond's resignation on Jan. 15
VT: Waterbury’s municipal manager Thomas Leitz announced he’s resigning.
WI: Former Fox Point village manager charged in fatal hit-and-run sees hearing moved
WI: La Crosse leaders attend City Administrator forum to learn more about proposed role
Contracts & Compensation
OH: Fairfield's city manager is receiving a 3.5 percent pay raise from $183,800 to $190,234 and a one-time bonus of $5,515.
In Memoriam
FL: John C. Gilbert, former Key Biscayne manager, dead at 72