2022: Ballooning debt brings state attention
The state began sending Rocky Mount leaders Financial Performance Indicators of Concern (FPIC) letters, signaling early warning signs. One FPIC letter noted that the city’s operating income for 2022 had a negative balance of $283,932, meaning expenses exceeded revenue.
Other WRAL Top Stories
The city continued going further in debt each following year, ballooning to $5,289,039.
2023-24: Leaders leave as debt grows
• The FPIC reporting continued: A 2023 letter flagged that the city’s general fund deficit could threaten its ability to support ongoing operations. During this period, city leaders and auditors note that a revolving door of city managers and the departure of a long-time finance director contributed to weakening financial oversight.
• The state’s 2024 FPIC said the city had "expenditures that exceed legal budget ordinance."
• In August 2024, the then–City Manager Keith Rodgers Jr. resigned after he was put on administrative leave. Rodgers had started his role in March 2023.
2025: Costly fixes to Rocky Mount's financial crisis
June 2025
City leaders signed off on plans to fix financial concerns raised by the state year after year, including as recently as June.
September 2025
WRAL News reports on the depth of Rocky Mount’s overspending and the need to reduce spending by at least $30 million in the next 10 months. The move includes freezing non-essential projects, pausing capital initiatives and reducing staff, with at least 10% of full-time employees and half of part-time staff facing layoffs.
Rocky Mount’s savings fund went from about $100 million in 2023 to roughly $20 million by 2025.
For the city’s approximate 54,000 residents, it will also mean a bump in natural gas and electricity rates. Estimates put the increase at about $20 per month for natural gas for the typical household. An approximate $8 monthly increase for electricity is expected, according to a release from the city.
The State Auditor’s Office confirms it is investigating the city’s finances, sending a deputy state auditor and team to Rocky Mount.
WRAL News reports that the city plans cuts to about 15 positions with the police department and about 10 with the fire department. The city also plans for broader departmental reductions.
October 2025: Elections and layoffs
WRAL covers a meeting between residents and city leaders, in which documents show that city leaders had been alerted to financial troubles going back to at least 2022.
Rocky Mount voters returned three councilmembers to their seats despite weeks of reports of financial chaos in the city.
Incumbents Tom Harris (Ward 6) and Jabaris Walker (Ward 7) defeated their challengers.
In Ward 2, Reuben Blackwell IV was running unopposed.
A single open seat, in Ward 3, was more competitive. Charles (Verb) Roberson won with 37.6% of the vote over six others.
Mayor Sandy Roberson isn’t up for reelection this year, nor are councilors for Wards 1, 4 and 5
The city of Rocky Mount announced it will lay off about 100 employees. The city said it's a little more than 10% of its full-time workforce.
"This decision was not made lightly and follows an extensive review of our current fiscal challenges, operational needs and long-term sustainability goals," the city wrote in a release. "We deeply value the contributions of every employee affected by this decision."
December 2025: Double bills at the holidays
Rocky Mount residents report to WRAL that they got back-to-back utility bills, creating cofusion and added expense. A spokesperson for the town confirmed that some customers may have received two statements due to an operational delay in the meter reading and billing process. They added that people aren’t being billed twice, but the second bill is from a previous month that was not sent.
2026: Audit explains doubled bills; utility bill crackdown
February 2026: Spending, billing questions bring dual audits
The North Carolina State Auditor’s Office initiated two audits of the city of Rocky Mount -- one for Rocky Mount’s colossal mismanagement of its finances, and another to examine this perplexing issue about residents receiving two bills, just days apart.
July 2026: Rocky Mount residents weren’t double-billed; council members failed to pay bills
A state audit found Rocky Mount utility customers were not double-billed after thousands received two bills in one month. Auditors blamed the confusion on changes to billing schedules and insufficient internal 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.
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.”
July 2026: Town begins to disconnect power for those behind on payments
After months of allowing exceptions for those confused or behind on utility bills, the City of Rocky Mount resumed shutting off utilities and charging late fees.
Within days, customers challenged the city about cutting off customers during a heat wave.
August 2026: Three deaths days after power cut off
A family of three was found dead inside a home without power. While the cause of death could take months to determine, family members said the home was operating on a generator used to keep cool.