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Rocky Mount council picks preferred electric-rate option after staff presentation; staff to include chosen structure in budget
Summary
Council conducted a straw poll on three electric-rate options that shift recovery between residential and business customers. Staff reported an unofficial leaning toward option 2 after members discussed impacts on households and industry and will include the chosen approach in the budget packet.
Rocky Mount’s Director of Energy Resources, Chris Beschler, presented three rate-design options that would raise utility revenues while distributing increases differently across residential, small business, medium business and large industrial customers. The council conducted a straw poll and—after initial tallies and some shifts—staff reported an unofficial consensus in favor of option 2 for inclusion in the budget process.
What was presented
Beschler explained that the three options produce the same total revenue but allocate increases differently among customer classes. A key graphic showed residential customers under the three options would see average monthly increases of about $7 (option 1), $5 (option 2) or $4 (option 3), based on typical household usage. Large industrial customers under option 3 would see a substantially larger annual change (presented by staff as multiple tens of thousands of dollars for major accounts).
Council views
Council members expressed diverging priorities. Some members favored shifting more of the increase to industrial customers to reduce impacts on fixed-income residents; others prioritized asking households to shoulder a slightly larger share to protect local industry. Councilman Knight argued industry has carried a heavy load historically and favored protecting residents; Councilman Blackwell and others emphasized the hardship higher residential bills could create for elderly and fixed-income households.
Straw poll and next steps
During the discussion the first tally reported 3 members for option 3, 2 for option 1 and 1 for option 2. Several members then signaled willingness to compromise; staff later reported an unofficial majority favoring option 2. The manager said staff will include the council’s chosen option in the proposed budget for Monday’s packet and that staff will present precise customer- and class-level impacts in the formal budget documentation.
Ending
The council’s selection at this meeting was an informal direction to staff rather than a final rate ordinance. Staff will include the selected option in the budget materials and bring a formal rate ordinance through the public hearing process as required.
