Last week, Cary was flagged by the Local Government Commission (LGC), an agency housed within the Office of the State Treasurer, for extra financial oversight in response to the state auditor’s report on the town’s spending and financial controls.
The LGC keeps a list of local governments with “concerns” related to their general fund, utilities funds, internal controls, and/or financial audits, which it calls the “Unit Assistance List.” Now that Cary is on the list, the town must get approval from the LGC before signing capital asset contracts with terms of 3 or more years that are worth $50,000 or more, or purchasing motor vehicles worth $50,000 or more. Interim town manager Russ Overton will also have to complete six hours of education on local government finances.
“While Cary is in good financial health, it is our understanding that this decision was based on financial findings in the N.C. Office of the State Auditor’s report,” Overton wrote in a statement to The Line. “We also understand that we will be assigned a coaching team, and we welcome their expertise in addressing the OSA’s findings and helping us to continue moving forward.”
According to a press release from the LGC, Cary was added to the list based on data from Fiscal Year 2025, which ran from July 2024 through June 2025. More recently, the town began to implement financial and governance reforms based on recommendations from the state auditor, a law firm, and an independent auditor.
Last year’s Unit Assistance List included 126 municipalities across North Carolina. This year’s list hasn’t been published in its entirety, but the press release noted Greensboro, Rocky Mount, and Zebulon are also on it.
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