Nevada County Drops USPS Lawsuit Over Plan to Reroute Operations
A northern Nevada county that sued the United States Postal Service (USPS) over the mail carrier’s plan to move its Reno mail processing operations to California has dropped the lawsuit.
Washoe County sued USPS in May. The county argued the postal service did not seek an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), which allegedly violated federal law, before proceeding with its plan to reroute operations to Sacramento, Calif. USPS scrapped the plans in August. The move was planned for January 2025.
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In Monday’s filing, Washoe County attorneys said they’re dismissing the lawsuit after USPS submitted a request for an advisory opinion earlier this month. The notice indicated that USPS plans to allow some local process centers to remain in Nevada.
Read more about the case here.
Previous update, Aug. 29
The United States Postal Service is scrapping plans to move its Reno mail processing operations to Sacramento, Calif., after a northern Nevada county sued the mail carrier over the decision.
The Postal Service (USPS) announced Tuesday it no longer plans to reroute its operations to California, stating that it identified “enhanced efficiencies” in its operations that will allow processing to continue in Reno, according to a statement. The move was planned for January 2025.
USPS declined to comment on whether the nixed plan was spurred by the pending lawsuit from Washoe County. In May, Washoe County attorneys sued Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and USPS over the decision. The USPS has yet to respond to the lawsuit.
In a statement to Democracy Docket, a spokesperson for the county said officials are “encouraged” by the postal service’s announcement, but that the lawsuit remains pending.
“Washoe County is seeking clarification regarding which processing operations will remain in Reno and reassurance that the change of plans is not merely temporary in nature. Final determination regarding whether to dismiss the pending lawsuit will be made once Washoe County has more information and reassurance from the Postal Service,” the spokesperson said.
The lawsuit argued USPS did not seek an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), an independent regulatory body, nor did USPS seek input from the county, according to the complaint, which argues this violates federal law.
According to the complaint, the decision stems from a broader plan from DeJoy to reduce the number of facilities in the U.S. “Between 2023 and 2024, (DeJoy and the USPS) implemented its plans and downsized 16 existing processing and distribution centers” in Oregon, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and Indiana, the lawsuit said.
The plans have faced scrutiny from congressional lawmakers. Earlier this month, GOP Georgia Rep. Andrew Clyde and the Georgia Congressional Delegation sent a letter to DeJoy asking him to “fulfill his legal obligation to seek an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission … for the agency’s recent consolidation process in the Peach State.”
The Washoe County lawsuit says the consolidation plan will “create a mail delay throughout the United States.” The county relies on USPS and the Reno facility to process timely correspondence, including for elections.
USPS said Tuesday that it began the regulatory process with PRC on Aug. 22, and has made operational improvements that will allow USPS to keep its processing facility in Reno. “These proposed modifications are expected to result in annual savings of approximately $3 billion, mainly through a reduction in transportation costs.”