A Cary town council member is speaking out for the first time since the former town manager resigned, as questions grow over spending reports.
Councilwoman Sarika Bansal has served on the council since 2023, and said she felt she needed to “share her truth” following comments made by the mayor.
Bansal said she was disappointed to hear comments by Mayor Harold Weinbrecht, published in an article by Indy Week, describing the council as “new with very little experience,” which he said created trust issues.
“I really want them to know that their voices are being heard,” Bansal said.
The article also included comments from Weinbrecht saying that the council members “don’t have a lot of big-picture information,” and that the council is not aligned about how to move forward. Something Bansal disagrees with.
“Yes, there is a sense of distrust, and I do agree that people are angry, but people are angry about the issues that happened before our time,” Bansal said. “It’s the new council who has taken leadership and trying to bring forth these issues, trying to fix things, trying to make difficult decisions.”
Bansal said she was shocked to learn of former Town Manager Sean Stegall’s over-the-top purchases and other missteps, but said her focus now is moving forward.
Despite pushback from the mayor, she said she wants to discuss as much as possible with the public and build back trust in Cary.
“I don’t want them to feel that, you know, the new council members are, you know, just not we don’t have the experience,” she continued.
Bansal said she thinks the mayor, overall, is doing a good job, but added that there is a lot more work that needs to be done amongst town leaders.
WRAL News has reached out to Weinbrecht for a response. We have not yet heard back.
