Cary Manager Sworn In After 11-Month Interim Period, With $344,000 Pay

Cary's Town Council voted Thursday to install Russ Overton as town manager on a $344,000 annual salary, closing out an 11-month interim period that began when former manager Sean Stegall resigned. Overton was sworn in immediately after the vote, and his contract took effect the same day. He drew applause at the ceremony.

Overton took the interim post last December after Stegall was placed on leave amid financial problems and concerns about a culture of excessive spending. He assumed the role as the town faced later audits and investigations. Councilmember Carissa Kohn-Johnson described the constraints he worked under during that period: "As interim town manager, Russ Overton had absolutely no wiggle room."

Mayor Harold Weinbrecht said Overton's knowledge of the town and his track record made him the right pick. Weinbrecht called the past 11 months difficult for what he described as a strong organization, and said Cary needed "somebody that knows Cary very, very well," with the experience to keep it "one of the best communities in the nation." Overton told attendees he was proud of what the town has accomplished together and said, "I believe our best days are ahead of us."

Council members declined to run a national search for the position, choosing instead to promote someone already familiar with Cary. Kohn-Johnson acknowledged that some residents wanted the town to start from scratch, but defended the choice, saying continuity is what Cary needs "to keep our town stable and to keep delivering the services that our residents have come to expect."

Overton has been part of the team implementing recommendations from an audit. Measures discussed at Thursday's ceremony included reviewing town credit card purchases, reinstating an internal auditor position and strengthening oversight of town finances.

Kohn-Johnson told residents to expect closer scrutiny of spending and policy. "There's going to be absolute concerted effort for us to question every spend, to look at every single policy we have, and make sure that our staff behavior, our council behavior, matches the policies that we have in place," she said.