A state audit shows that unauthorized and undetected changes to Rocky Mount’s billing system caused the massive utility confusion late last year.
The investigation confirms that thousands of people who unexpectedly received two bills in a single month were not actually double-billed. Instead, city officials were attempting to correct severe meter-reading delays.
However, the report also reveals a major double standard. Two city council members accumulated more than $30,000 in unpaid utility bills while their services remained active, only paying their debts after seeing a draft of the audit.
The City of Rocky Mount accepted the audit's findings. City management said they are already working to automate their billing systems, strengthen internal process controls, and restore full public trust.
