POSTAL SERVICE Leaders to study impact of plan

Postal officials are not expected to close the Youngstown office.
By IAN HILL
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Regional post office representatives aren't sure how a proposal to end Saturday delivery will affect local residents.
At least one regional representative, however, believes that the concerns of local residents will be considered before any final decision is made.
"We'd certainly want to consider how that will affect customers," said Paul Harrington, a communications specialist for the U.S. Postal Service's Akron district. The district includes Youngstown.
U.S. Postal officials said they are planning to study the effects of ending Saturday delivery and closing and consolidating some offices in order to save money. The officials have said they are facing a possible loss of up to $3 billion this fiscal year.
Study: Harrington said that before any final decision is made, the Postal Service may conduct a survey to collect the opinions of local residents on the proposed cost-cutting measures. He also said that he expects to receive comments on the proposals in the mail.
Ernest Shipley, a customer relations coordinator for the Youngstown post office, said he feels it's too early to determine how ending Saturday delivery will affect local residents since "they haven't even started the study."
He also said that he did not think Postal officials will close the Youngstown office in order to save money.
Shipley said Postal officials may close or consolidate smaller offices as a cost-cutting measure.
Shipley did not have statistics Wednesday on how many pieces of mail are delivered by the Youngstown post office.
Statistics also weren't available on the annual budget of the Youngstown office.
Harrington said the Akron district has a total annual budget of $450 million. The district covers 12,000 square miles in northern Ohio.
Deficit: Harrington also said the Akron district has produced a budget surplus of "a few hundred thousand dollars" during the past few years. Meanwhile, nationwide, the U.S. Postal Service had a deficit of $199 million last year.
The deficit primarily was due to rising gasoline and natural gas costs, Harrington said, adding that the post office has "the largest fleet of trucks in the world."
"A few pennies at the pump means millions of dollars to us," he said.
To save money, the U.S. Postal Service has decided to freeze more than 800 new construction and leasing projects across the country. Harrington said none of those projects were in the Youngstown area.
Last year the Postal Service also proposed a 6.4 percent rate hike in an effort to raise additional revenue. That proposed increase was later reduced to 4.6 percent -- or an additional 1 cent on the cost of a 33-cent stamp -- by the U.S. Postal Rate Commission.
Harrington said the Postal Service is considering appealing the commission's decision.
The Postal Service's study of ending Saturday delivery and closing some offices is expected to be complete within 90 days.