Staff photo / R. Michael Semple With letters in hand, Georgia Begalla, 77, of Warren, heads to the downtown Warren post office on Friday. Begalla has had difficulties with mail delivery over the past few months and was one of dozens of area residents who complained to the newspaper about mail delivery. U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Howland, sent a letter to President Joe Biden asking him to replace the board of governors for the U.S. Postal Service.

Local residents report weeks or monthslong delays in receiving prescription medications, bill notices, hearing notices, Christmas cards and gifts through the U.S. Postal Service.

The problem goes both ways, with payments they’ve sent arriving late, and gifts and holiday cards failing to reach their destinations.

The delays have been going on for months, not just in the Mahoning Val-ley, but across the country. Now, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Howland, is urging President Joe Biden to shake up the leadership at the USPS in hopes of setting the agency right.

Ryan is asking Biden to get rid of the entire board of governors.

“Throughout this, my constituents in Northeast Ohio and the American people have been left to suffer. The response from the leadership of the USPS to the unconscionable delays we are experiencing with the mail is beyond unacceptable. Therefore, I am writing to ask that you fire the entire board of governors and nominate new leadership to begin the hard work of rebuilding our Postal Service,” Ryan states.

When asked for comment, the Youngstown Postmaster’s office directed questions to a media representative in Cleveland. She declined to comment on the issue.

Ryan states in the letter that postal workers are not to blame for the issues, because they are “dedicated public servants who have braved the pandemic and have stepped up in a big way.”

“Operational changes imposed by Postmaster General Louis DeJoy ‘negatively impacted the quality and timeliness of mail service nationally.’ Mr. DeJoy’s efforts to throw out sorting machines, cut overtime, restrict deliveries and remove mailboxes has slowed mail nationally,” Ryan’s letter states.

LOCALS RELATE THEIR EXPERIENCES

When asked on social media about their own experiences, numerous people from the Mahoning Valley had similar stories.

Cortland-native Stefani Jerina mailed her parents a holiday card Dec. 8 from her home in Charlotte, N.C., and it arrived in Cortland on Jan. 27.

Sarah Shafer of Champion said her grandmother has still yet to receive December and January retirement checks from her grandfather’s retirement. Without the December check, she was unable to shop for Christmas.

“She was devastated she couldn’t get anyone anything. We just had to let her know we were all grateful she was here,” Shafer said.

Julie Green of Girard didn’t receive a postcard informing her of the need to schedule a meeting regarding a family member in a long-term care facility until a day after she was supposed to have scheduled the meeting.

“Thankfully, they understood that the mail is not reliable and are willing to work with families,” Green said.

Melissa Watson of Struthers said she received a hearing notice for a workers’ compensation hearing a week after the hearing had already been scheduled to take place.

Medications that Megan Everett of Warren ordered should have arrived by Jan. 1 but have still not been delivered. Diana Smith of Cortland said prescription eye drops she ordered were hung up in Cleveland for about three weeks before they arrived.

K. Thomas of Bazetta said a family member was upset when he received his credit card bill two days after the due date. Though he sent the check in the same day and called to tell them what happened, he was charged late fees and lost access to the credit, even though it was his first missed payment, she said.

Bob Woofter of Cortland said he received mail sent out in November this week, and ad flyers are arriving after their expiration. Jamie Fitz-Patrick of Youngstown said she didn’t get her electric bill until Thursday, the day of the shutoff notice.

“Thank goodness I have reminders and had already called and paid it,” she said. “It would have been shut off. My whole house is electric. I am getting mail that was supposed to reach me in December. It’s shameful,” Fitz-Patrick said.

Georgia Begalla, 77, of Warren, said some companies are waiving late fees, but others won’t. Payments she has sent in still haven’t been received, so she has to track which checks are still outstanding and monitor her bank account.

Many more responses were received describing late cards, packages, bills and payment, including from those whose businesses have been affected.

Chelsie Lewis-Hurst of Boardman, owner of Top To Bottom Cleaning Pros, said payments from customers are coming in late, too.

“I have customers that I usually receive payments from within a week of invoice. The majority of my mail-in payments are very delayed. I’m still waiting on a payment for November that was sent at the beginning of December. I have waived all late fees for December and January,” Lewis-Hurst said.

RYAN’S SOLUTION

To regain the trust of the people and to provide the “strong leadership” the agency requires in order to continue, new board members must be selected, Ryan states.

“We must do right by the American people, and we must do right by our postal workers and letter carriers. The Postal Service should be an institution the American people unquestionably count on. It is an economic engine for many businesses in my community and my constituents, particularly in rural areas, count on their service,” Ryan states.

Ryan states his offices have been inundated with calls, emails and letters detailing bad experiences with the USPS in the last few months.