The North Carolina Office of the State Auditor completed its information systems audit of Rocky Mount after some residents said they received two utility bills in one month in late 2025.
The report found the city did not double-bill customers. Instead, auditors said the city was trying to correct billing delays and eliminate a gap between meter-reading dates and billing dates.
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Auditors said the delays were caused by unauthorized and undetected changes to the city’s meter-reading and billing schedules. The report cited insufficient management, monitoring and process controls.
The report also found City Council members Charles Roberson and T.J. Walker accumulated more than $30,000 in unpaid utility bills before paying them after the city received a draft of the audit.
Roberson, who had a total of 30 accounts, had more than $27,000 in unpaid bills. Walker accumulated more than $3,000. No penalties were assessed because the city paused late fees because of the billing issue.
The audit notes that “the fact that the city council members with recurring unpaid balances continued to not post payment through April 2026, long after the event triggering the temporary pause occurred, suggests that they took advantage of this decision to further their own personal financial interests.”
“This new report details mistakes made by the city’s billing department that led to confusion regarding bills received by the public. It also shines a light on Rocky Mount officials who had delinquent bills,” State Auditor Dave Boliek said. “Rocky Mount continues to face financial and personnel issues that need to be addressed. The State Auditor’s Office will not stop providing much-needed transparency to the people of Rocky Mount, so that they can make informed, educated decisions on what’s best for their community.”
The State Auditor’s Office recommends the city combine its utility meter-reading and billing schedules, secure them from unauthorized changes and work with its billing system vendor to automate bill scheduling.
Roberson has faced other scrutiny in recent months. A witness account said Roberson was involved in an altercation at City Hall in May.
Rocky Mount City Manager Elton Daniels responded to the audit with a statement.
"I appreciate the review conducted by the Office of the State Auditor, which confirmed customers were not improperly billed for utility services.
The audit's conclusion validates what I, along with Business and Collections staff, have maintained throughout this process: customers were not double billed, overbilled, or charged for services that were not provided. Both metered and non-metered utility services were ultimately billed based on actual usage and applicable service charges.
While this situation understandably created frustration and uncertainty for our citizens, the audit confirms that no systemic improper billing occurred.
I appreciate the work of the Office of the State Auditor and value the recommendations provided through their review. We will continue implementing improvements that strengthen our operations while maintaining our commitment to transparency, accountability, and quality customer service.”
WRAL News has reached out to Roberson and Walker for comment. Walker provided a letter stating that he has a zero balance as of June 16.