Residents press Rocky Mount council on longevity pay changes and sound the alarm on a proposed mega data center

Residents used the Dec. 8 public comment period at the Rocky Mount City Council meeting to raise two distinct but consequential concerns: proposed changes to employee longevity pay and a proposed large-scale data center at Kingsborough Industrial Park.

Tasha Aldridge told the council longevity pay "is an earned compensation" and argued that removing it violates federal and state wage laws. "When an employer commits to paying longevity ... that commitment becomes binding," Aldridge said, adding that she is "waiting on an opinion letter" from state authorities and the U.S. Department of Labor (FLSA) she expected to justify the legal concerns. Aldridge accused management of using longevity changes and reductions in force to recover funds without adequate transparency and said staff hiring and financial documentation had been insufficiently disclosed to the council.

Darlene Spencer Harris, vice president of the Southeast Rocky Mount Community Organization, called for transparency, accountability and restraint in how employee separations are handled, saying abrupt terminations too quickly affect livelihoods and that residents "expect transparency and absolutely no excuses."

Separately, Dr. Ku urged the council to oppose a proposed data center at Kingsborough Industrial Park that the speaker described as a "900 megawatt" facility in a "440,000 square foot building on 300 acres" with an asserted $19 billion construction cost and a promise of 500 jobs. Dr. Ku warned the council that such mega data centers can demand large amounts of energy and water, potentially raising utility costs for residents, and cited risks including added chemicals in cooling water and battery fire hazards. Dr. Ku also expressed skepticism about job promises and about municipal disclosure when non-disclosure agreements accompany site deals.

Council members did not record extended responses to these public comments during the meeting; later in the agenda the council adopted a resolution amending the continuous service incentive program (which the public commenters criticized). Aldridge said she had spoken with state and federal authorities and expected a formal opinion to support her claims; no such letter appears in the meeting record. The council’s adoption of the policy change means affected employees and departments will need administrative follow-up and, if Aldridge’s assertions are sustained, possibly legal review.