Purpose of this Blog
It is my hope that this blog will provide insight not only into who I am meeting with on behalf of the Town, but also the topics we discuss. I believe strongly in open and transparent government. This blog is one of several initiatives I implemented when I became mayor in 2007 to make the governmental process more accessible to our citizens.
This blog is written with sincerity, honesty, and a commitment to accuracy so our constituents can better understand the work we do. After all, we work for them!
How Cary Government Works
Cary’s government, like most cities in North Carolina, uses a council–manager form of government. This system works a lot like a company, but for local government. Residents elect a council and a mayor, who set policy by passing laws, approving the budget, and guiding the town’s overall priorities. The council then hires a professional manager to run the town’s day-to-day operations.
Think of it like a company: the council acts like a board of directors, making policy and representing the public, while the city manager acts like a CEO, overseeing all departments, such as finance, public works, police, and fire, and managing town staff. The mayor leads council meetings, represents the town publicly, and has limited executive authority. While the council and mayor make policy decisions and receive regular reports, they usually see only high-level summaries rather than the detailed inner workings of each department.
In short, just as a board hires a CEO to run a company, Cary’s council hires a manager to run the town, ensuring professional management while elected officials focus on big-picture decisions and community priorities.
You can find additional information about how Cary’s government works on the town’s website here.
NC Association of Zoning Officials Midwinter Meeting
On Monday, I delivered welcoming remarks to the NC Association of Zoning Officials mid-winter conference, which had about 200 attendees. I spoke just before the keynote address.
Although zoning officials often work behind the scenes, their influence is clearly seen in neighborhoods, local businesses, and the overall character of their communities. Their decisions go far beyond buildings and parcels of land; they help shape the future of the places people call home.
They operate at the intersection of law, policy, and people. Every application they review reflects someone’s investment, someone’s home, or someone’s livelihood. They are tasked with balancing private property rights and the public good, economic opportunity and infrastructure capacity, and growth with preservation. Doing so requires not only technical expertise, but sound judgment and a high degree of professionalism.
Cary was proud to be the host municipality of this conference, and I hope they consider returning next year.
Wake County Mayors Association
Monday evening, I attended a meeting of the Wake County Mayors Association. Joining the discussion were the mayors of Cary, Fuquay Varina, Garner, Holly Springs, Knightdale, Morrisville, and Wendell.
We covered a range of topics, including pending legislation on property taxes, General Fund balance considerations, different types of council members, and the council-manager form of government. It was an excellent group, and the conversation was both thoughtful and lively.
GRCVB Board
On Tuesday morning, I attended the monthly meeting of the Greater Raleigh Convention and Visitors Bureau in North Hills. The group began with the treasurer’s financial report, followed by several funding requests, including some already submitted for fiscal year 2031. This year, nine of the twelve municipalities, including Cary, received funding. One notable update was that hotel occupancy rates are down, a trend being seen nationwide, though our market is projected to outperform much of the country.
A representative from Kane Realty Development shared updates on current and upcoming projects in North Hills, and the meeting concluded with a walking tour of the area.
The session was wrapped up with reports from the four liaisons, including Cary. In my report, I highlighted the TST tournament and upcoming performances at Koka Booth Amphitheatre.
After the meeting I received the following information about visitors to the Raleigh area for this quarter:
- Around 43% of Q4 2025 visitors were day-trippers to Wake County, who did not stay overnight in the destination at paid accommodations or private homes.
- The top origin market for Q4 2025 visitors to Wake County was the Raleigh/Durham/Fayetteville Designated Market Area (DMA, a 23-county region), and 55.8% of all visitors hail from North Carolina. Other notable origin states for Q4 include D.C. and Va., Fla., S.C., N.Y. and Ga. These origin insights can help our business partners with ad and promotional targeting.
- Out of 700 POIs tracked in Wake County, RDU International Airport saw the most visitor volume in Q4 2025, followed by Crabtree, Coastal Credit Union Music Park at Walnut Creek, North Hills – Main District and Lenovo Center, respectively. Of the top 25 POIs by visitor volume, RDU International Airport drew the highest proportion of visitors (52%) vs. residents of Wake County (48%) in Q4 2025.
- Insights for accommodation partners from Q4 2025: overnight visitors from the New York, Charlotte, Greenville/New Bern/Washington, Atlanta and Wilmington DMAs spent the most with Wake County hotels across all hotel classes. Q4’s average hotel revenue per arrival was $266. (Revenues tracked by the LED vs. STR’s accounting suggest capture of approximately 28% of hotel stays with these data.)
For your data-related questions or even more insights, please contact GRCVB’s Destination Data, Technology and AI Department at data@visitRaleigh.com.
CAMPO Executive Board
Wednesday afternoon I participated in a meeting of the CAMPO (Capital Area Metropolitan Planning Organization) Executive Board. CAMPO is a regional transportation planning organization serving communities in Chatham, Franklin, Granville, Harnett, Johnston and Wake Counties. According to The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1962, areas considered by the Federal Census to be urban in nature with a population of at least 50,000 must have a continuing, cooperative, and comprehensive transportation planning process. In order to receive funding from the federal government in the state of North Carolina, this process is carried out by Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPO). Members from each of the MPOs make up the North Carolina Association of Metropolitan Planning Organizations. Currently, there are 19 MPOs in North Carolina.
The meeting agenda featured four consent items, four public hearings, and five discussion items.
The consent agenda included approval of meeting minutes, the FY 2026 Third Quarter Wake Transit Work Plan Amendment Requests, the NCSU-ITRE Master Service Agreement Amendment, and the Apex Pleasant Park Access Study Interlocal Agreement. All consent items were approved unanimously.
Public hearings were conducted for the FY 2027 Unified Planning Work Program, the Program Management Plan Update for Section 5310 Enhanced Mobility of Seniors and Individuals with Disabilities, the FFY 2027 LAPP Program, and Amendment #2 to the FY 2026–2035 Transportation Improvement Plan (TIP). Each of these items was approved.
Discussion items included presentations on NCDOT’s winter weather preparedness efforts, the 2055 Metropolitan Transportation Plan, a congestion management update, the Cape Fear River Basin Wildlife Crossing Study, and the Wake Transit Conference Committee.
Economic Development Committee
The Economic Development Committee met Wednesday night. The agenda included remarks from the Interim Town Manager Russ Overton, a development update from Assistant Town Manager Scot Berry, and the Quarterly Chamber report from Chamber President Mark Lawson.
The manager’s remarks were brief and primarily served as an introduction, providing background context.
The development update covered trend data from the second quarter of fiscal year 2026 (October–December). The trends indicate that Cary’s growth continues to slow.
The following are a few takeaways from the Chamber report:
- Unemployment in November: Cary 3.2%, Wake County 3.5%, NC 3.7%, US 4.4%
- Unemployment in December: Cary 2.8%, Wake County 3%, NC 3.9%, US 4.4%
- Monthly Inflation Rates for 2025:
January 2025 3.00%
February 2025 2.82%
March 2025 2.39%
April 2025 2.31%
May 2025 2.35%
June 2025 2.67%
July 2025 2.70%
August 2025 2.92%
September 2025 3.01%
October 2025 N/A
November 2025 2.74%
December 2025 2.70%
Average: 2.69%
- Inflation for January 2026 – 2.50%
- Jobs created in 2025: 1,275 in order (Technology, Life Science, Advance Manufacturing, Financial Services, Professional Services, Health Care, Sports & Entertainment.)
- Business Recruitment Pipeline:
Active Projects: 13
Potential Jobs: 3,038
Potential Investment: $983M
Industries: Advanced Manufacturing, Life Science, IT, Research & Development, and Food & Beverage Manufacturing.
- New Headquarters: Invicta Water – This organization relocated their business, which was in Burlington, NC to Cary, so they could have a larger operation and be in a more modern space to further expand their client reach. This company specializes in the removal and destruction of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), commonly known as “forever chemicals,” from water sources. Unlike traditional methods that merely filter or capture PFAS, Invicta Water’s technology aims to eliminate these harmful substances without producing toxic byproducts.
Council-Staff 3 x 4
The council-staff 3 x 4 meetings focused primarily on planning the retreat agenda. Proposed retreat topics include a financial update; budget financial fluency and priorities; Cary’s DNA; the evolving Cary community; service levels; and Cary’s mission, vision, and values. In preparation, staff requested input on which service-level discussion topics should be included.
Upcoming work sessions will address the delegation of authority policy, capital projects, and a retreat follow-up, if needed.
Looking ahead, future topics include Alston Commons, ACT 38 Imagine Cary Community Plan, ACT 23 retaining walls, and various real estate items.
Each 3 x 4 meeting lasted one hour.
Interview with WRAL
On Thursday, I gave an interview to WRAL regarding the council staff working retreat scheduled for Friday and Saturday. Although the discussion centered on the retreat, the resulting story leaned toward the kind of clickbait coverage we’ve seen from the media in recent months, particularly around the manager transition. You can review the story here. Only the final portion reflects the recent comments; the rest appears to have been blended in to heighten the drama.
Interview with Graduate Student
Thursday afternoon, I participated in an interview with a graduate student from North Carolina A&T State University who is currently studying public policy. The questions covered my background and upbringing, leadership style, key policies and initiatives, and the changes that have taken place during my time in office.
Council-Staff Working Retreat Friday
On Friday, I joined the council and staff for the start of our annual two-day retreat to establish the town’s direction and vision. Much of the conversation centered on financial planning and the budget.
The Interim Manager started the retreat with the poem “Still I rise” by Maya Angelou which was so fitting. I, along with others, feel that we have unjustly received a lifetime of hate in the last few months, so it was very uplifting. Some of the versus that really resonated with me:
“You may write me down in history With your bitter, twisted lies, You may trod me in the very dirt But still, like dust, I’ll rise.
…
Just like moons and like suns, With the certainty of tides, Just like hopes springing high, Still I’ll rise.
Did you want to see me broken? Bowed head and lowered eyes? Shoulders falling down like teardrops. Weakened by my soulful cries.
…
You may shoot me with your words, You may cut me with your eyes, You may kill me with your hatefulness, But still, like air, I’ll rise. … I rise I rise I rise.”
With that the rest of the retreat was about how we were moving forward.
After an icebreaker, the council spent an hour and a half in a circle with NC Senator Adcock, who previously served as Cary’s Mayor Pro-Tem, discussing strategies for building a stronger, more unified council. While some might view this as unproductive, it’s important to note that council members rarely have the opportunity for these kinds of group discussions outside of official town business. Building working relationships and engaging in these conversations is not only valuable but a crucial step in helping us move forward from where we are today.
To set the tone for the remainder of the retreat, a video highlighting the future of Cary was shown, featuring both staff and council members. Following the video, the council engaged in a discussion about what defines Cary’s DNA.
The next session on Friday focused on reviewing Cary’s vision and values, which have not been updated since 2006. Participants split into seven small groups to evaluate them, with each group including one council member. We then reconvened to discuss the proposed changes and recommendations from each group. Several council members raised objections to the word “citizens” and preferred “residents” instead. They also disagreed with the statement, “We will continue to be nationally recognized for excellence in local government” and said that “we shouldn’t be chasing national awards”.
After lunch, the council received a presentation on demographics and development. The data, including graphs and charts, highlighted much of what I talk about in my State of Cary address and that we are an ageing community with a strong preference to age in place.
The subsequent presentation focused on service levels and featured a panel of staff representing utilities, fire, police, development, parks, and public works. In preparation, council members were asked several days in advance which service areas they wanted to explore. Topics included:
- Loose-leaf collection between November and January, including three rounds of collection, two completed prior to December 24, and the collection of more than 10,000 tons annually.
- Sidewalk maintenance under Policy 135 (covering more than 400 miles) and greenway maintenance (over 100 miles).
- Greenway mowing on a 10-day cycle and trash collection on a 7-day cycle, maintained by a team of six full-time employees and three seasonal staff, with an average FY26 cost per mile of approximately $8,600.
- Sidewalk maintenance response times, with assessment occurring within one day of a reported concern.
- Street maintenance and pavement conditions, including a goal of addressing 90% of reported potholes on Cary-owned streets within 24 hours, and coordinating with North Carolina Department of Transportation regarding potholes on state-maintained roads.
Key takeaways from the discussion included:
- Service levels require both personnel and funding.
- The definition of “service level” varies depending on perspective.
- Service levels are interconnected, often involving multiple departments and layers of coordination.
While the information shared was thorough and impressive, one of my most significant takeaways was that each department indicated their current operating model is not sustainable. Maintaining our existing service levels will require substantial budget considerations moving forward. One of the most significant comments I heard from some of the council members was that we do not have to be the best of the best in every area.
The council spent the rest of Friday in a closed session with the attorney, interim manager, and town clerk.
Council-Staff Working Retreat Saturday
Saturday morning began with a session to potentially prioritize budget items. Council voted on these items using the quadratic method which resulted in the following:
- Community Safety: 29
- New Capital Investment: 23
- High Performing Staff: 22
- Affordability: 21
- Maintaining Service Levels: 21
- Maintaining Facilities: 21
- Fiscal Responsibility 16
- Environmental Stewardship: 16
- Service Excellence: 16
- Operational Efficiency: <10
Each council member acknowledged that all priority items were important, though they placed greater emphasis on certain items when casting their votes. Staff will use both the quantitative and qualitative prioritization results to guide budget decisions.
The second session on Saturday was a financial update with key financial indicators. Here are some of the points that were made:
- Top five General Fund expenditures Public Safety, General Government, non-departmental (debt service, utility, etc.), PRCR
- Top five Spending increases:
- Police: $11 million
- Non-departmental: $10 million
- Parks: $9 million
- IT: $9 million
- Public Works: $5 million
- Top five Personnel Spending increases:
- Police: $9 million
- Parks: $5 million
- Fire: $5 million
- Public Works: $5 million
- Town Manager’s Office: $4 million
- Top five Operations and Maintenance increases:
- IT: $8 million
- Parks: $5.5 million
- Non-departmental: $4.5 million
- Finance: $2.75 million
- Police: $2.75 million
- Fund Balance at 41%, policy is 33%
- Available Fund Balance Revenue: 21.5%
- Debt Service/Expenditures: 8.7%
- FY 2026 Q2 Financial Key Takeaways:
- Property tax and sales tax revenues outperforming budget.
- Staff closely monitoring financial performance, including revenue growth and net results.
- Positive net results and fund balance projected for June 30, 2026.
Saturday’s third session focused on the Fund Balance Policy. Key takeaways included:
- Fund Balance and its categories are measured at year-end and used strategically when making spending decisions.
- As Cary continues to mature as a community, our financial benchmarks and policies should evolve accordingly.
- Bond ratings remain critically important and are a key area of focus for the Council, leadership, and the investment community.
Our current policy states that Total Fund Balance must be at least 33.33%, approximately four months, of budgeted General Fund expenditures. General Fund expenditures include total expenditures and debt service but exclude other financing sources and uses. It is worth noting that our fund balance policy is significantly higher than that of many comparable communities. Staff will prepare options for potential changes to the Fund Balance policy and present them at a future work session.
The next session focused on unfunded positions and preliminary staff requests for the upcoming FY 2027 budget. Because a number of positions have been held vacant over the past several years, there is now a significant backlog of needs.
The interim manager ended the retreat with reflections and looking forward.
In summary, the retreat was centered more on conversation and collaborative discussion than on formal presentations. Both staff and council remained fully engaged throughout the two days, which made the experience especially productive and valuable. If you want to watch the retreat, you can view it here on Cary’s YouTube channel.
Downtown Cary Park Design Firm Receives Top US Architectural Honor
Downtown Cary Park was recently recognized for innovative park design by the 2025 American Architecture Awards, the nation’s highest architectural honor. Designed by the Boston-based firm Machado Silvetti in partnership with the Town of Cary, the Park seamlessly integrates landscape and architecture to create a cohesive, contemporary civic destination in the heart of Cary.
“The American Architecture Award is a national recognition of the design achievements of Downtown Cary Park,” said Jeffry Burchard, managing partner and principal at Machado Silvetti. “It is a reminder of the importance of community support and collective effort in the pursuit of beautiful and innovative public spaces.”
The Downtown Park design was selected for the award from a shortlist of over 1,500 submissions across 27 unique disciplines. It is one of only five parks in the nation recognized by the 2025 American Architecture Award.
One notable achievement of the park is Machado Silvetti’s unified design approach, where architecture and landscape function as one experience. The Park transitions from an urban plaza to natural spaces, creating diverse spatial and ecological conditions across the site.
Equally important to its recognition is the Park’s measurable social impact. With more than 750,000 visitors in its first year and over 1,000 events hosted, Downtown Cary Park has become a vibrant hub for recreation, culture, and community connection, demonstrating the power of design to shape public life and strengthen a growing community.
“This recognition reflects the vision and care that went into creating a park that truly belongs to the community,” said Joy Ennis, Downtown Cary Park General Manager. “Downtown Cary Park was designed to bring people together and seeing how residents and visitors have embraced the space makes this honor especially meaningful.
Residents and visitors are encouraged to experience the award-winning Downtown Cary Park and discover how thoughtful design, community vision, and public investment are shaping the future of Cary.
Learn more at downtowncarypark.com.
Council Out and About
Hope you’re enjoying the warmer weather and, like me, are ready to be done with the harsh winter we had this year. Many of our local businesses were impacted by the severe weather, and that’s why I organized an open walk-in meeting at a coffee shop in my district — to support the business, and to bring the community together.
The response was far more than I expected. We had a packed house and some really meaningful conversations with residents. Connecting, listening, and sharing my perspective reminded me why these moments matter so much, and it has motivated me to put more of these meetings on the schedule.
I encourage everyone to continue supporting our local businesses and help them through this challenging time. There’s a lot happening in our town, with many opportunities to engage and support our community. One event I’m especially looking forward to is Fest in the West, an event organized annually by a long-time Cary resident in my district. It features a wonderful variety of vendors and activities for young kids and families to enjoy. Please mark your calendars for April 18th.
For more events and updates, be sure to sign up for the Town’s newsletter.
Sarika Bansal
District D Representative
Connecting With the Community
Councilmember Sarika Bansal hosted open-walk-in office hours in District D. She enjoyed connecting with residents and hearing firsthand about the ideas and issues that matter most to the community.
Mayor Pro Tem Lori Bush and Councilmembers Michelle Craig and Bella Huang attended the Lunar New Year Celebration hosted by the North Carolina Chinese American Society and the North Carolina Asian Americans Alliance. The festive event brought the community together to celebrate culture, tradition, and the beginning of a new year.
Councilmember Brittany Richards attended the Lunar New Year Banquet hosted by the Chinese-American Friendship Association. The evening was filled with vibrant performances and joyful fellowship in honor of the holiday.
Councilmember Carissa Kohn-Johnson toured the SAFEchild Advocacy Center in Raleigh on Monday. She was joined by Development Director Anna Jackson, Board Member Virginia Anthony, and Executive Director Rebekah Paredes to learn more about the center’s services for Wake County municipalities.
Mayor Harold Weinbrecht presented the State of Cary at Howard Hanna Allen Tate Real Estate, with Councilmember Sarika Bansal also in attendance. The presentation highlighted Cary’s progress and was followed by an engaging Q&A session.
Mayor Weinbrecht delivered the State of Cary address at the Cary Chamber of Commerce Eye Opener event. Attendees had the opportunity to learn more about Cary’s accomplishments and future initiatives. Mayor Pro Tem Lori Bush and Councilmembers Sarika Bansal, Michelle Craig, Bella Huang, Carissa Kohn-Johnson, and Brittany Richards also attended.
Mayor Weinbrecht spoke with fifth-grade students at Green Hope Elementary School. He shared insights about local government and encouraged students to get involved in their community.
Mayor Weinbrecht toured the United Way Call Center in Cary in recognition of NC211 Day. The visit highlighted the vital services NC211 provides to residents across the state.
Mayor Weinbrecht, Mayor Pro Tem Bush, and Councilmembers Bansal, Craig, Huang, and Richards attended a Lunar New Year celebration hosted by Representative Ya Liu at Prestonwood Country Club. The celebration brought community leaders and residents together to honor cultural heritage and welcome the Year of the Fire Horse.
Councilmember Bella Huang attended the grand opening of LIVE Hydration Spa Cary. The ribbon-cutting marked an exciting addition to Cary’s thriving small business community.
Q&A on Manager’s Resignation and Other Items
The situation left by the former town manager has been aptly described by one of our new council members as an oil spill, and that comparison is quite fitting. Like any spill, new issues may arise as the investigation and cleanup progress. While the former town manager’s actions were clearly unethical, I am not aware of any illegal conduct at this time. However, three important efforts are ongoing: a review and report by the North Carolina State Auditor, a criminal investigation led by the NC State Bureau of Investigation at the request of the Wake County District Attorney, and an internal investigation by Womble Bond Dickinson on behalf of the Council. From the information available to me, the impact of the former town manager’s actions was limited due to the town’s consistently strong financial position.
The following questions were addressed on my January 4th, January 11th, and January 18th blog:
- WithersRavenel Contract
- Was the $1.3 million in fraud returned to Cary? Yes …
- Why didn’t you know about the town manager’s behavior?
- When did you learn about the land purchase to Cary Elementary?
- Do you have conflicts of interest?
- Why did you give push back to a council member that wanted to move forward with changes now?
- How could you not know all the things the former manager was doing?
- Did I know the book “Top of the Arc” cost the town $150,000?
- Why did you pay the town manager’s severance?
- What changes have you made and will you make?
The questions that are new or updated are below.
Town Owned Properties
We have received a variety of questions related to the manager’s transition, one of which was about town owned properties. The Town currently owns 352 fee simple properties. You can find a map of these properties here. To get information on the parcel, zoom in and select.
Transit Service in District D
In response to District D citizens about transit to their area the staff provided the following:
- We do not currently have any new fixed route transit service planned for implementation in western Cary.
- The current Wake Transit Bus Plan / short-range operations plan does not include funding for any new service in Cary; beyond the two new routes we implemented last November. The last Bus Plan update (2021-2022) looked at service options in western and southern Cary and determined that the density/ridership potential wasn’t high enough to prioritize Wake Transit Plan funding above new service for other transit providers in Wake County.
- After the last Bus Plan update, Cary conducted a Microtransit Study to determine the feasibility of Microtransit service as a “starter” option in areas that don’t score high enough for Wake Transit funding.
- The Microtransit Study determined this service type is a good fit for western and southern Cary. The study was presented to Council in January 2025. It was noted that this service will require 100% Town funding for at least 3 years before the service could start generating federal support. It could eventually be eligible for some level of Wake Transit funding, but the amount and timing are uncertain. We do know we won’t receive funding in the next five years.
- It was also noted that it would take at least one year to purchase vehicles and design/construct stops to support new service. Service would begin the year after infrastructure needs are met. Initial capital needs are in the $1-$2M range, depending on the level of initial service, with another $1-$2M required annually to operate the service. Capital needs should be considered during the upcoming capital project prioritization discussions.
- The next Wake Transit Bus Plan update will kick-off later this year, with a final plan expected in late 2027. We will advocate again to start including service in western and southern Cary in the funding model. If they are included, funding will likely not be until 2031 or later.
- We continue to provide Door to Door service to eligible customers in all areas of Cary.
Mayor’s Mailbox
- Dozens of emails about ICE potentially moving into a building in Regency. (We have no authority over the federal government. At this time, the town has not received any requests or permit applications from ICE. However, they could proceed there, and we do not have the authority to stop them.)
- Complaints and a petition about a proposed mixed use on Davis Drive. (So far, this has not been introduced to council, and we have no staff report.)
- Questions about the former town manager’s actions.
- A complaint about the Downtown Cary Park’s dog park location.
- Several invitations to events.
- A request for a traffic signal at Green Level Road and Carpenter Hill Lane. (NODOT is the decision maker for traffic signals.)
- A concern about PFAS in Cary. (We eliminated that years ago.)
- A complaint about town vehicles in the parking deck during early voting. (All town lots were full of town employee cars. There was nowhere else for them to go. FYI, two decks will open in March.)
Next Week
Next week’s activities include staff meetings, a meeting with Kiwanis Club International, a Ramadan Iftar dinner, and a proclamation for VFW Auxiliary.
Well, that is all for this week. My next post will be on Sunday, March 1st, 2026. Although I have Facebook and Twitter accounts, those are not the best means of communication with me. Please send all Town of Cary questions or comments to Harold.Weinbrecht@carync.gov and email personal comments to augustanat@mindspring.com.
Harold's Blog 