City manager blamed for ‘severe financial distress’

Topline: Almost 80% of the City of Rocky Mount’s cash and investments are gone following the disastrous tenure of City Manager Keith Rogers, according to a North Carolina state audit released on March 9.

Rogers’ annual salary of $225,000 made him the highest-paid employee in Rocky Mount history at the time of his resignation, according to records obtained from the North Carolina Department of State Treasurer.

Key facts: Rogers took office in March 2023 and resigned in September 2024 with no official explanation.

His resignation settlement included a payment of $169,875, per the Rocky Mount Telegram. That included six months of salary and money to remain on call as a consultant for three months.

The new state audit found that Rogers was hired without the “basic due diligence typically used to prevent the employment of unqualified individuals,” and his previous work history should have raised red flags.

As town manager of Dumfries, Va., from 2019 to 2023, Rogers had already “demonstrated a pattern of making unqualified hires, approving questionable salary increases … and overseeing a $1 million budget overspend.” Rocky Mount never checked his references before hiring him, according to the audit.

The decision led to “severe financial distress.” In August 2023, Rocky Mount had $100 million in cash and investments. By August 2025, the city had spent $78.2 million and the balance was down to $21.8 million, the audit found.

Rogers increased city purchasing and debt service by 153% in a single year “without thorough financial feasibility analysis or oversight.” The city spent $17.2 million on land for a casino that was never built. They are now paying a consultant $10,000 per month to attract tenants for the land, according to the audit.

Rogers’ tenure also saw a sharp increase in compensation to city bureaucrats, Open the Books’ database shows.

Before Rogers led the city, from 2017 to 2022, the city payroll increased by an average of 2.3% per year. When Rogers was appointed in 2023, the payroll increased by 15%, driven by a 28% boost for employees listed as “administrative officials” or “government officials.” The fire department’s payroll increased by only 4%.

In 2024, Rocky Mount’s payroll increased by another 11%.

The overspending led to increased property taxes and utility bills and forced the city to lay off 10% of its workforce last year, according to the audit.

Search all federal, state and local salaries and vendor spending with the world’s largest government spending database at OpenTheBooks.com.

Background: Somehow, Rogers already has a new government job. He was appointed county administrator of Charles City County, Va., in June 2025. His new salary has not been disclosed, but his predecessor made $153,490 in 2024.

Summary: As is often the case, everyday taxpayers in Rocky Mount will be the ones paying the price for their government’s poor decisions.

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