Cary Spending Pt.2

Last week, Cary officials held a news conference to address the findings of the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor. Cary has introduced a Moving Forward Dashboard to provide more transparency on its efforts to implement the recommendations. This dashboard provides a summary of the recommendations from the State Auditor and other independent assessments, along with relevant supporting information. The website will be regularly updated to reflect milestones achieved and new information.

Councilmembers and Interim Town Manager Russ Overton addressed the media this evening following OSA’s release of its report, which also included Cary’s official response. In it, the Town provided additional context, identified actions Cary has completed or initiated, and outlined the work that remains. 

“As an organization, we recognize that it’s our responsibility to understand what happened, learn how we can help prevent it from happening again, and make sure our operations and culture meet the expectations of our staff and our community,” said Overton. “The recommendations from the OSA’s report and others help us do exactly that.”

“When Town staff brought concerns to the Council last fall, we did not look away. Those concerns led to the former town manager’s departure, and they were serious enough that we welcomed the State Auditor’s involvement when his office contacted us in November,” said Cary Mayor Harold Weinbrecht. “We take this report seriously, and our focus remains on strengthening the policies and practices that guide our work.”

In its response, Cary discusses what actions have already been completed or initiated, including:

1. Commissioning an independent review of procurement card spending, financial reporting, oversight, and organizational culture

2. Restoring key financial oversight positions

3. Strengthening procurement card controls

4. Updating procurement, contracting, travel, and reimbursement procedures

5. Increasing financial reporting to the Town Council and community

6. Expanding public access to Town Council meetings

7. Adopting Cary’s first anti-retaliation policy

8. Improving documentation of decisions and approvals

9. Updating financial and administrative procedures throughout the organization.