Luxury Conference Amidst Power Crisis: Rocky Mount's Disconnect

On August 10, 2026, representatives from Rocky Mount prepared to attend a conference at the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Virginia, a luxury property confirmed by employees of the organizing ElectriCities conference. This trip coincided with nearly 200 of the city's utility customers facing power disconnections, as WRAL.com reported. The local weather forecast for the week included high-90s temperatures, with heat index values exceeding 100 degrees.

The timing of the officials' attendance at a resort conference, while a significant portion of their constituents struggled with basic services, drew sharp commentary. One resident, Fatimah Jones, expressed concern for those unable to pay their utility balances, telling WRAL.com, "I think that there should definitely be someone that comes and sets things right. I feel like the residents were set up. I feel like they were set up to fail."

Rocky Mount Assistant Manager C.J. Jordan acknowledged the ongoing utility issues, stating to WRAL.com that the city had processed over 1,580 payment arrangements since disconnections began on July 20. However, Jordan also conceded that "customers may experience longer-than-normal wait times during peak call periods." This follows a state auditor's report last month highlighting the city's utility billing problems. WRAL.com further reported that the city did not respond to inquiries regarding its progress on audit recommendations, which included correcting meter-reading and billing schedules, working with a billing vendor, and resolving delinquent accounts totaling over $30,000 for councilmembers T.J. Walker and Charles "Verb" Roberson.

Our take: The optics here are indefensible. A municipality struggling with critical infrastructure failures and billing transparency issues cannot simultaneously justify luxury resort conferences. This isn't about the individual merit of the conference; it's about a complete failure of situational awareness and leadership prioritization. Public servants attending a "luxury hotel" while their city literally swelters in the dark is a PR disaster that signals profound disrespect to the taxpayer. Accountability should precede any professional development trip.