Two Rocky
Mount city council members spoke with WRAL News
Friday about their roles in the city’s multimillion-dollar budget
crisis.
WRAL News spoke with council
members T.J. Walker and Jabaris Walker.
“I knew we had a lot of
expenses in our general fund,” T.J. Walker said. “As far as our fund balance
decreasing in the way it’s been reported and shown, I had no idea.”
Jabaris Walker said he takes on
a level of responsibility.
“Absolutely I do, and I think
us as a council take it as a whole,” Jabaris Walker said. “So we’re here, so
you [have to] come up with a plan to try to get us out of here. And I think
that’s where we’re going.”
A review of Rocky Mount’s finances showed the city
had spent millions more than
what it brought in for at least two years. The city’s savings
fund dropped from $100 million to $20 million in the same time frame.
The city said it would need
to lay off workers,
including as many as 15 from the Rocky Mount Police Department and up to 10
from the Rocky Mount Fire Department. The city also said it would
look to cut at least $30 million over the next 10 months.
For the city’s approximate 54,000
residents, it will mean a bump in natural gas and electricity
rates. Estimates put the increase at about $20 per month for natural gas for
the typical household. An approximate $8 monthly increase for electricity is
expected, according to a release from the city.
Since 2022, the North
Carolina’s Treasurer’s Office has sent Rocky Mount leaders warnings about the
city’s finances.
In the documents, the state said the city’s operating income for 2022 had a negative balance of $283,932, and the city continued going further in debt each following year, ballooning to $5,289,039.
The documents obtained from the
state do not explain the millions of dollars that are missing from the town’s
savings fund.
Multiple
city council members and Mayor Sandy Roberson blame a revolving door of
city managers and finance directors, but they also were made aware of the
situation. WRAL News requested an
interview with Roberson on Friday, but he declined.
However, Roberson said he’s
looking toward the state’s audit for clarity on where that money went.
City leaders signed off on
plans to fix financial concerns raised by the state year after year, including
as recently as June.
WRAL News asked T.J. Walker
whether he signed off on plans, showing him his signature.
“I don’t
remember seeing this document,” he said. “That right there is an indicator of a red flag, but I don’t remember seeing that
in 2023 or 2022.”
Jabaris Walker added, “I would have done a lot of things different, like you, but we asked all the questions. As a council from the mayor’s office, we asked those questions. This is what we was presented. We really felt and thought every decision we made was for the betterment of the city.”
WRAL News
asked the city about the state’s concerns dating back to 2022. The city
provided a statement.
“Delays by city staff in
providing financial information to councilmembers meant discussions and
remedies did not occur in a timely manner,” the statement reads in part.
Rocky Mount’s statement said
city leaders are working to solve the problems outlined.
