Rocky Mount’s Utility Billing Issues Unveiled in State Audit
Utility customers in Rocky Mount experienced unexpected confusion when they received two bills in a single month in late 2025. This prompted the North Carolina Office of the State Auditor (OSA) to investigate, at the urging of the city’s Mayor and City Council. The audit uncovered issues within the city’s billing processes.
The Information Systems Audit conducted by OSA revealed that the billing irregularity stemmed from a disconnect between meter reading times and billing schedules. This misalignment led to the issuance of additional bills, though it was later confirmed that no customer was billed twice. The root cause was found to be unauthorized changes to the city’s billing processes, resulting from inadequate oversight.
Another significant finding in the audit concerned the accumulation of unpaid utility bills by city council members. Councilmembers Charles “Verb” Roberson and T.J. Walker were found to owe more than $30,000 collectively, with Roberson accounting for over $27,000 across 30 accounts and Walker owing over $3,000. The city had suspended late fees during the billing issue, which meant no penalties were applied. However, these debts were settled only after OSA issued a draft report.
The audit highlighted 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.”
State Auditor Dave Boliek commented on the report, stating, “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.” He added that the OSA is committed to maintaining transparency to empower residents with the information needed to make informed decisions.
To address these issues, the report advises the city to align its meter reading and billing schedules, secure them against unauthorized changes, and seek automation solutions from their billing system vendor. The city has provided a response, which is included in the audit report.
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