Washoe County commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday afternoon to stand against a U.S. Postal Service plan that would move Northern Nevada’s outgoing mail services from Reno to Sacramento.

“It’s a great distance. There’s weather. There’s traffic. There’s wrecks. There’s a lot of reasons why I think it would diminish the quality of service,” said commissioner Mike Clark, who brought the agenda item to the board’s attention.

USPS held its first public meeting on the plan at the beginning of February, saying Reno’s processing facility could receive millions in funding from the $40 billion Delivering for America Plan, but it would have to ship all outgoing mail directly to Sacramento for processing. That means a letter or parcel shipped locally would have to cross the Sierra Nevada Range before reaching its final destination in Northern Nevada.

The Postal Service argues that this plan is most effective because the majority of Northern Nevada’s outgoing mail is not addressed to a local destination.

County Commissioners and residents voiced concerns about delays in local mail delivery, especially with possible closures of the I-80 pass in the Winter due to inclement weather. 

“I look at so many unintended consequences: people getting medicines, bills, late fees, things that will cause people hardship. As our community grows, the last thing we need is less postal service," Clark said.

Government affairs liaison Cadence Matijevich added that the move would impact not only residents, but government and business.

“This is not just about the volume of the mail, but about the nature of the mail,” Matijevich said.

She and commissioners speculated that delays over the Sierra could impact sensitive documents shipping in and out of the state’s capitol in Carson City, mail-in ballots from Northern Nevada voters, prescription medication deliveries, residential utility bills and payments, and more.

“The nature of that mail is critical to our residents here in Washoe County and throughout Northern Nevada,” Matijevich said at Tuesday’s meeting.

Alongside expressing opposition to USPS, commission members directed her to reach out to state leaders and neighboring counties for support.

The commission's vote was timely – until end-of-day on Wednesday, Feb. 28, USPS has an open survey for residents and businesses to share feedback on Reno’s mail processing facility, linked here.