U.S. Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH) recently requested that Congress intervene in the failure by the United States Postal Service (USPS) Michigan Metroplex facility to properly handle its mail processing duties for his Ohio constituents.
Rep. Latta sent a Dec. 15 letter to USPS Postmaster General and Chief Executive Officer Louis DeJoy to request a permanent transfer of processing duties for northwest Ohio’s mail from the Metroplex facility in Pontiac, Mich., to a mail processing facility within the State of Ohio.
The congressman also sent another Dec. 15 letter to U.S. House Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) and Ranking Member James Comer (R-KY) calling for a formal congressional inquiry into the mail processing operations of the USPS Michigan Metroplex facility.
“For too long, the Michigan Metroplex has failed in its duty to provide adequate mail processing services for my constituents in northwest Ohio,” Rep. Latta wrote. “Consequently, the lack of dependable mail delivery services has resulted in late billing payments and penalties for constituents, delays in local judicial proceedings, reputational and monetary harm to small businesses, and the violation of the right to vote, to name a few.”
While the lawmaker wrote that he has repeatedly tried to bring these concerns to the attention of USPS officials, including those in Michigan, northern Ohio, and Washington, D.C., he has received mixed responses.
“On behalf of my constituents in Ohio’s Fifth Congressional District, I respectfully request that the House Committee on Oversight and Reform launch an investigation into this matter and work to ensure that USPS is being proactive in addressing mail delivery issues brought forward by members of Congress,” according to his letter.
Since 2011, Rep. Latta has held calls with the Postmaster General, brought in USPS officials for meetings, and visited mail processing centers in Ohio and Michigan, according to his letters, yet despite assurances the situation would improve, mail issues have persisted.
At the beginning of August, for instance, Rep. Latta sent residents in his district an online survey asking them to share whether they experienced delays or challenges receiving their mail. More than 3,000 constituents, or 85.9 percent of all respondents, said they have experienced such hardships.
The congressman requested that Postmaster General DeJoy formally initiate plans within 60 days of receiving his letter to permanently transfer all mail processing duties from the Michigan Metroplex to a facility in Cleveland, Toledo, or Columbus, Ohio.