Rocky Mount staff says billing timing error affected about 26,000 accounts; council presses for fixes and outreach

City staff told the Rocky Mount City Council at a special called committee meeting that a timing error in the utility billing process affected about 26,000 customer accounts and produced closely spaced bills for some residents.

Latasha Hall, director of Business and Collection Services, said staff identified a growing gap between meter read dates and bill dates that began at a small scale earlier in 2025 and widened by December. "Customers were not double billed," Hall said, adding that customers were charged only for the usage recorded and that the city would not assess late fees or disconnect service as a result of this issue.

Christine Smith, business operations manager, provided a technical clarification: "No one has been billed for the same usage period. There have been two bills but they reflect two separate usage periods," she said. Staff showed a sample statement to illustrate how read dates, bill dates and due dates had drifted out of sync — in one example the gap from read date to due date reached 53 days — and said the city’s 28-day billing cycle can generate 13 bills per year.

Council members pressed staff on timing, notification and remedies. Councilman Harris described constituents facing hardship, saying an 88‑year‑old resident became tearful when due dates shifted; other council members urged immediate town halls and ward meetings so staff could walk residents through individual bills. Several council members also faulted the city’s billing technology and limited collections staffing, noting only three people were available at the counter and three on phones to handle the surge in contacts.

Staff outlined steps already taken and planned safeguards: aligning meter reading and billing so bills are generated on average five days after reads; requiring management approval for schedule changes; adding automated checks and alerts to detect timing anomalies; and offering one‑on‑one customer reviews, payment arrangements and existing assistance programs. Hall gave operational contacts for customers and said staff were working to reduce hold times and respond by email and callback for those who leave information.

Council sought two near‑term products from staff: a dollar estimate of the fiscal impact if the city were to forgive charges tied to the affected period, and legal guidance on whether the council can change collection timing or recoupment through ordinance or policy. The city attorney said the council could not make policy decisions in this committee meeting but would provide an answer by Monday. The city manager said finance staff could extract a total dollar amount "within the next few days." Councillors also asked staff to prepare clear, date‑by‑date materials and short videos or a PowerPoint to post on the city website and share at neighborhood meetings.

Several council members publicly acknowledged multiple failures in process and communication and asked for a public statement that the city erred. The city manager said the city was evaluating technology requests and expected the situation to be largely resolved by February or March, while noting that the staffing and seasonal call volumes complicated immediate fixes.

The council directed staff to increase outreach — including town halls, ward meetings and use of local ambassadors and clergy to disseminate talking points — and to provide a one‑page FAQ for frontline staff handling calls and in‑person visits. Staff committed to review flagged nonmetered charges (for stormwater or trash) and to reimburse any customer found to have been charged twice for the same service period.

The meeting closed with the council thanking staff and residents for their patience and with a pledge to continue working on technical, policy and communications remedies starting the following Monday.