Cary names Russ Overton interim town manager after Sean Steagall's resignation

The Cary Town Council convened an emergency meeting to administer the oath of office to Deputy Town Manager Russ Overton, who will serve as interim town manager following the weekend resignation of Town Manager Sean Steagall, the mayor said.

The mayor said the council moved because public-records responses and subsequent staff interviews revealed activity ‘‘inconsistent with the town’s culture.’’ The council said it voted unanimously in closed session on Nov. 20 to place Steagall on administrative leave while it pursued separation steps and has since retained a law firm that specializes in employment investigations. ‘‘This firm’s work will take time,’’ the mayor said, and the council expects the review to take ‘‘several months, if not more.’’

The mayor described three central problems that led to the action: ‘‘1, over the top spending and inadequate financial reporting; 2, lack of transparency with the full council, staff, and citizens; 3, an unhealthy work environment created by Sean with many of the staff that work most closely with him,’’ the mayor said. The mayor added, ‘‘For me as mayor, it simply came down to the lack of trust and confidence.’’

At the same time the mayor stated that the council is ‘‘not aware of anything illegal that has occurred’’ and said the town’s finances remain sound, crediting staff for maintaining operations. The mayor emphasized that federal and state privacy, public-records and equal-opportunity laws and the terms of Steagall’s 2016 employment contract constrained what the council could disclose publicly.

The mayor invited Russ Overton to the podium to take the oath. The mayor asked whether Overton would ‘‘support and maintain the Constitution and laws of the United States and the Constitution and laws of North Carolina’’ and ‘‘faithfully discharge the duties of the office as interim town manager of the Town of Cary.’’ Overton replied, ‘‘I do.’’ The transcript records the oath being administered; no separate council vote on the interim appointment was recorded in the meeting transcript.

Several council colleagues offered brief remarks of support for staff and for the council’s handling of the matter. One council member thanked journalists and residents for their patience; another, identifying as a new council member, pledged to earn public trust. Another council member thanked roughly 1,328 employees for continuing to perform despite the disruption.

Overton thanked the mayor and council for the opportunity and said he is ‘‘excited’’ to serve despite how the transition came about. He thanked his wife, Christie, and said he looks forward to working with the new council to ‘‘continue to problem solve’’ and keep Cary a place residents value.

The mayor said the council will keep citizens and staff updated on the investigation’s progress and any resulting process changes. The emergency meeting concluded with the mayor declaring there was no further business and adjourning the session.