Rocky Mount residents pack council chambers, demand answers on city’s financial struggles,

ROCKY MOUNT, N.C. (WTVD) — The council chambers inside Rocky Mount’s city council were packed with Monday residents upset about the city’s apparent accounting fiasco. Councilmembers Andre Knight, Reuben Blackwell IV, and Richard Joyner, representing wards 1, 2, and 3, respectively, met with residents inside City Hall to discuss why the city’s finances have significantly dropped since 2023.

“We are seeking a forensic auditor to come in and look for anything that could be possibly be illegal. Because you got to,” said Blackwell. “It’s not a little bit of money we’re talking about. It’s a lot of money. And we’re still trying to get to the bottom of it.”

As of August 2023, the city’s cash and investment balance was just more than $100 million. As of September 2025, the number has dipped to just more than $20 million. Rocky Mount’s newest city manager, Elton Daniels, and the newly-hired finance director presented the public with data points showing how the city ended up in its current position.

Daniels said, per city records, the previous city manager proposed and approved raises for members of the police force and fire department at more than 35% and 25%, respectively.

“We know that everybody deserves that you get money. And we believe our police force needs to make more money,” said resident Sharon Evans. “But we couldn’t afford it that particular time.”

Knight, Blackwell, Joyner, and Daniels also fought back against social media claims that the city was in a $30 million deficit, stating that the information was inaccurate.

“There was financial, inappropriate individual — people — who didn’t know what they were doing or knew what they were doing and just didn’t do it,” said Blackwell of the previous city manager’s duties, whom he alleged was unqualified to have the position.

According to Daniels, his accounting forecasts the city to have roughly $12 million in savings in February 2026. To help offset and bring in additional revenue, city leaders in attendance proposed adding an additional nearly $30 to residents’ utility bills each month, laying off several members of the police force and the city’s fire department, including not filling vacant positions and eliminating certain “non-essential” roles.

“It is disappointing,” said resident Dr. Kim Koo. “And I think this is the frustration of citizens here, that this is a city crisis that we did not make. But we are asked to shoulder the responsibility.”

Councilmembers for wards 5, 6, and 7 will meet Wednesday to walk residents through their version of events that allege how the city ended up in its current financial status.