Overview

• North Carolina’s State Auditor confirmed a team, including the deputy auditor, visited Rocky Mount on Wednesday to examine how the city outspent its revenue for months.
• City leaders announced emergency steps that raise typical household bills by about $20 a month for natural gas and roughly $8 for electricity, paired with at least $30 million in reductions over 10 months.
• The cost-cut plan freezes non‑essential projects, pauses capital initiatives, and includes layoffs affecting at least 10% of full‑time staff and half of part‑time employees, with essential services such as EMS and fire protected.
• City Manager Elton Daniels, appointed in April, said a comprehensive review found chronic monthly gaps of roughly $3 million to $4 million since 2023 and hired a forensic accounting firm to dig deeper with findings to be shared publicly.
• WRAL’s review of the city’s public audits shows outstanding debt rose by 37% from 2021 to 2024, underscoring the longer‑term fiscal pressures now under investigation.