KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Steve Meyer never thought he’d be so excited to see bills and flyers in his mailbox.
His Overland Park neighborhood went more than a week without mail during a stretch in the fall and winter when delivery was inconsistent. But this month, mail started arriving regularly.
“It was about the time I gave up, everything started showing up,” Meyer said. “It’s been great to have our mail.”
Meyer and his neighbors now receive their mail daily.
The United States Postal Service said a new leader in the Shawnee Mission district oversees Meyer’s neighborhood.
The agency also increased starting salaries to attract and retain employees. A letter carrier in the city now earns $22.13 per hour, and rural carriers start out earning $20.38.
“If you want a job, go somewhere else. If you want a great career, come see us,” said Mark Inglett, a strategic communications specialist for USPS.
Inglett’s worked for the post office for 39 years.
He said the agency is hiring now, targeting high school-aged students with job fairs at their schools and hosting career fairs for adults every Tuesday from 1-4 p.m. at Workforce Partnership, located at 8535 Bluejacket Street, Lenexa.
In Washington, D.C., elected leaders from Missouri and Kansas continue to question postal leaders about complaints about the mail.
Last week, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall questioned Postmaster General Louis DeJoy. Missouri Sen. Josh Hawley pushed the Office of the Inspector General to conduct an audit of mail delivery issues in Kansas City last year.
Democrats have also sent letters to DeJoy.
“We’re making the necessary changes we need to continue those improvements, and we’re proud to serve America and deliver for them every day,” Inglett said.
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