Cary mayor delivers State of Town address as community trust wavers
CARY, N.C. (WTVD) -- The mayor of Cary delivered his "State of the Town" address on Thursday night amid ongoing questions and controversy surrounding the town manager's office.
A new town manager has been appointed following the resignation of former manager Sean Stegall, who stepped down over allegations of misusing taxpayer money. Stegall is also under investigation for an incident in 2016 when his car was seen at a motel during a suspected illegal drug sale, though he was never charged.
In February, Mayor Harold Weinbrecht addressed similar concerns, emphasizing the town's commitment to transparency and ensuring such issues do not recur. An audit had revealed financial irregularities, including questionable spending, which led to Stegall's departure.
Though the address came at a crucial time as the town bounces back to rebuild trust from the controversy, for many who had a chance to speak to the mayor on Thursday night, rumors of an expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) presence in Cary drew a lot of attention.
Dozens of protesters gathered outside the Cary Town Hall. They expressed concern about a possible increased ICE footprint after a federal government lease of property in Cary. The mayor says it's out of the town's control. Some argued the town could be doing more.
"We watched all the news coverage of Minneapolis, and we don't want to be the Minneapolis of North Carolina," said protester Kathy Martin, a Cary resident.
As Weinbrecht spoke inside, the large crowd gathered outside and called on town leaders to make a statement against ICE.
"We're hoping that they'll take a stand and represent the community through some statement that they have seen ICE and that they make a values judgment that ICE is not welcome in this community," said Cary resident Steve Glass.
The uproar came after the federal government leased 25,000 square feet of space in an office complex off Regency Drive near Koka Booth Amphitheater.
ICE already has a facility in Cary. The new space would potentially be more administrative.
The town wasn't notified and doesn't have to be. Because the federal government operates independently.
"You're just going to sit there and say that there's no other option, there's no authority you have. I find that very cowardly," one resident said.
The Mayor said he worried that making a bigger statement against ICE would backfire and draw attention to the town.
"I'm not here to do political statements," Weinbrecht said. "You can call me all the names you want. I'm here to protect the people of Cary, and if something I do is going to cause them harm, I'm not going to do it, and I'm worried about our immigrants."
Some members of the town council said they understand the worries many in the community are expressing. And they want to see whether more can be done within their legal options.
"I am all ears, I am talking to anybody that will talk to me about this and seeing what avenues are open to us and what aren't and trying to be open-minded about what the community wants to see us do," said Council Member Carissa Kohn-Johnson.
It's still unclear what the exact purpose of the new facility will be. It is purely office space, and the federal government has leased that property through at least 2030.
