Press Release – August 6, 2015

1,700 Submissions Show Widespread Negative Impacts of Facility Consolidation

TUCSON – U.S. Representative Martha McSally today joined members of the Arizona Congressional delegation to deliver the results a recent survey detailing the impacts of the proposed Cherrybell Post Office and Processing Center consolidation. The results showed an overwhelming majority of respondents experienced noticeable delays in mail delivery, including delays in receipts of veterans benefits, medications, and payments for regular business transactions.

“As members of the Arizona delegation we are writing to inform you of the results of an extensive community survey regarding the impacts of the consolidation of the Tucson Postal Processing and Distribution Center (P&DC)/Cherrybell,” the Arizona Congressmen said in the letter. “We appreciate the U.S. Postal Service’s announcement to delay phase II consolidation at Cherrybell into 2016; however there remains great uncertainty regarding how the negative consequences of the consolidation will be addressed moving forward.”

In April, Rep. McSally attended a roundtable with Vice Mayor Fimbres and local leaders, which led to plans to conduct a local survey, about coordinating local and federal efforts in support of the Cherrybell Facility’s continued operation. She also has toured the Cherrybell Facility and, in March, led a bipartisan effort by members of the Arizona delegation to call on Postmaster General Megan Brennan to revisit decisions that would consolidate operations at the Cherrybell Facility and see the facility’s impacts first-hand.

In Washington, D.C., Rep. McSally has met with the Deputy Postmaster General Ronald Stroman and the Chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on Government Operations, which handles postal issues in the House, to stress the importance of the Cherrybell facility to Southern Arizonans and advocate for its continued operation.

“We appreciate your efforts to protect Tucson and surrounding communities from the negative impacts of consolidation, but do not believe there is a feasible path forward to address the concerns of the community if the facility is closed. We ask that you review the attached survey summary and provide us with information on how the numerous concerns will be addressed.”

The survey summary can be found HERE.

A PDF of the letter follows:

Source: U.S. Rep. McSally, AZ Delegation Deliver Results of Cherrybell Survey to Postmaster General | Congresswoman Martha McSally