Washoe County’s District Attorney Chris Hicks is seeking approval from the Board of County Commissioners to take legal action against the United States Postal Service. The USPS in April announced it plans to move local mail processing operations from Reno to Sacramento, California.
The move has drawn outrage from northern Nevada residents, including local governments and elected politicians. U.S. Sen. Jacky Rosen last month blasted U.S. Postmaster Louis DeJoy over the plan. If approved, the move would mean locally processed mail would travel over the Sierras to Sacramento for sorting before being sent back to Reno for delivery.
The DA, in a meeting agenda, said the move does not comply with federal law. The commissioners would have to approve any litigation against the USPS.
“On May 28, 2024, at the meeting of the BCC, the District Attorney’s Office is requesting formal approval to ‘pursue any and all legally viable claims’ against the [USPS] arising from the USPS’s plan to move processing of mail from Reno to Sacramento,” DA spokesperson Kendall Holcomb said. “At this time and based upon preliminary investigation, the District Attorney’s Office believes that the plan to move mail processing does not comport with federal procedural law.
“If the item is approved, the District Attorney’s Office intends to vigorously pursue relief and represent Washoe County’s interest in halting USPS’s plan to move Reno’s mail processing to Sacramento. This includes possibly filing a complaint in the United States District Court, District of Nevada.”
The DA called the USPS’s plan a threat, and “this item could enable the country to mitigate or avoid these impacts.” The legal action is an attempt to stop the move to Sacramento. The DA cited years of snow impacts showing delays over Interstate 80 during winter. From 2016 through 2023, trucks were prevented from driving over the pass for hundreds of hours in both directions.
The DA is seeking up to $25,000 to file legal action against the USPS, which will include attending hearings, filing statements and “costs associated with pursuing … claims and/or representing Washoe County before the Postal Regulatory Commission.”
The matter is scheduled for discussion at Tuesday’s county commission meeting. The USPS did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.
