By james art 
A northern Nevada county that sued the United States Postal Service (USPS) over the postal carrier’s plan to move its mail-handling operations to Reno, California, has dropped the case.
Washoe County sued the USPS in May. The county alleges that the Post Office did not seek an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), which it says violated federal law, before proceeding with its plan to move operations to Sacramento, California. The USPS canceled the plans in August. The move was planned for January 2025.
In Monday’s filing, attorneys for Washoe County said they were dismissing the lawsuit after the USPS sent a request for an advisory opinion earlier this month. The notice states that the USPS plans to allow some local processing centers to remain in Nevada.
Read the submission here.
Read more about the case here.
Previous updatee, 29 Aug
The United States Postal Service is abandoning plans to move its Reno mail-handling operations to Sacramento, Calif., after a northern Nevada county sued the postal carrier over the decision.
The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) announced Tuesday that it no longer plans to shift operations to California, saying it has identified “improved efficiencies” in its operations that will allow processing to continue in Reno, according to a statement. The move was planned for January 2025.
The USPS declined to comment on whether the canceled plan was spurred by the pending Washoe County lawsuit. Washoe County attorneys sued Postmaster General Louis DeJoy and the USPS over the decision in May. The USPS has not yet responded to the lawsuit.
In a statement to the Democracy Docket, a county spokesperson said officials are “encouraged” by the post office’s announcement, but that the case remains pending.
“Washoe County is seeking clarification on which processing operations will remain in Reno and reassurance that the change of plans is not merely temporary.” A final decision on whether to dismiss the pending lawsuit will be made after Washoe County receives more information and assurance from the Post Office,” the spokesperson said.
The lawsuit alleges that the USPS did not seek an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC), an independent regulatory body, nor did the USPS seek information from the county, according to the complaint, which alleges it violates federal law.
According to the complaint, the decision stems from DeJoy’s broader plan to reduce the number of facilities in the U.S. “Between 2023 and 2024, (DeJoy and USPS) executed their plans and reduced 16 existing processing and distribution centers” in Oregon, Georgia, South Carolina, Florida and Indiana, the lawsuit says.
The plans have come under scrutiny from lawmakers in Congress. Earlier this month, Georgia GOP Representative Andrew Clyde and Georgia’s congressional delegation sent a letter to DeJoy asking him to “fulfill his statutory duty to seek an advisory opinion from the Postal Regulatory Commission … on the recent consolidation process of agency in the Peach State. “
Washoe County’s lawsuit said the consolidation plan would “create delays to the United States Postal Service.” The county relies on the USPS and the Reno facility to process timely mail, including for elections.
The USPS said Tuesday that it began the regulatory process with the PRC on Aug. 22 and has made operational improvements that will allow the USPS to maintain its processing facility in Reno. “These proposed modifications are expected to result in annual savings of approximately $3 billion, primarily through reduced transportation costs.”
Read more about the case here.