In an effort to address its ongoing financial crisis, Rocky Mount has started their first round of layoffs for their city employees. Some are claiming that the layoff agreements are unfair.
On Friday, the city announced it will lay off about 100 employees. The city said it's a little more than 10% of its full-time workforce.
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"This decision was not made lightly and follows an extensive review of our current fiscal challenges, operational needs and long-term sustainability goals," the city wrote in a release. "We deeply value the contributions of every employee affected by this decision.
"These individuals have served our community with commitment and professionalism, and we are profoundly grateful for their service. This action is a direct response to ongoing budget constraints, rising operational costs, and a critical need to realign resources to ensure essential services remain strong and resilient for the future. While necessary, we understand this change brings real consequences to individuals, families, and teams, and we do not take this moment lightly."
The city said it is providing support to the employees impacted.
"We remain committed to transparency, fiscal responsibility, and above all, compassion, as we move forward," the city wrote. "Our focus now is on stabilizing city operations, maintaining high-quality services for our residents, and supporting our workforce, both those who remain and those who are moving on."
Related: Millions of dollars missing, higher bills and layoffs: A timeline of Rocky Mount’s financial crisis
The state had been aware of Rocky Mount's poor financial performance since 2022, but it wasn't until September of 2025 that the crisis amounted to be too much for the town. A state audit revealed that Rocky Mount spent millions more than it brought in on a monthly basis for more than two years.
Rocky Mount’s savings fund went from about $100 million in 2023 to roughly $20 million by 2025.
The town now needs to reduce spending by at least $30 million in the next 10 months, which means it would have to freeze non-essential projects, pause capital initiatives and reduce staff. At least 10% of full-time employees and half of part-time staff face layoffs.
Its budget-saving plan also affects its approximate 54,000 residents, who will most likely see a bump in natural gas and electricity rates.
The initial review plan said 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.
City leaders, residents respond to crisis
Rocky Mount city council members T.J. Walker and Jabaris Walker spoke with WRAL News about their roles in the city’s multimillion-dollar budget crisis.
“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.”
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, but he declined.
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."
Rocky Mount residents also met with city leaders on Oct. 2 as they discussed how the city planned to get out of a multimillion-dollar budget crisis. Many people said they went to the meeting because they wanted answers.
"I want to find out what happened," said Carmen Eddins, who lives in Rocky Mount. "What is going on from the horse's mouth and what the plans are for the future. It doesn't paint a good picture of what our elected officials are supposed to do."
