An electrically powered dispenser for paper towels uses a special roller bracket to provide not only proper positioning and support for the drive and pinch roller shafts, but also tension and grounding between the drive and pinch rollers, thereby producing a dispenser that is both reliable to operate and simple to assemble. The mounting bracket is integrally formed from a single sheet of conductive material and preferably includes a pair of side plates connected by a mounting bar which includes an integrally formed tear bar portion for cutting the material after it has been transported past the rollers. Each side plate incorporates a flexible bridge (arm) portion for biasing each of the two shafts against a respective bearing portion to thereby complete a static discharge path from the rollers to the mounting bar without requiring any separate springs, contacts or wires. In a preferred embodiment, a door mounted projection blade assists in proper paper loading, a removable top cover functions as a universal mounting bracket, and flexible paper protection fingers discourage unwanted contact between the paper and the tear bar.