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Rocky Mount residents demand answers after utility billing error affects about 26,000 accounts
Summary
Residents packed the Rocky Mount City Council meeting to protest a utility-billing error that produced overlapping or extra bills for roughly 26,000 accounts; city officials said an investigation is underway, the manager estimated about $7.5 million in affected charges, and the city attorney said the city lacks authority to forgive specific accounts.
Hundreds of residents pressed the Rocky Mount City Council on a utility-billing error that generated extra or overlapping bills for roughly 26,000 accounts, delivering sharply critical public comments and demanding refunds, clearer explanations and independent oversight.
City Manager Elton Daniels told the council staff is working to correct billing schedules and the customer portal, and that billing schedules "are expected to be in line with the reading schedule within the next 45 to 60 days." He also told residents that if they received a statement showing an incorrect past-due amount and they already paid, "please disregard that past due amount." Daniels said the immediate technical and customer-service fixes include new bill print layouts, portal updates and improvements to phone systems.
When Councilman Blackwell asked about the total value of the additional billing, Daniels said it was "about,…
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