Brown Deer mail delays; Sen. Baldwin presses USPS for answers

BROWN DEER, Wis. - Complaints about delayed mail in Brown Deer are now drawing attention from Congress. U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.) is demanding answers from the U.S. Postal Service after residents and business owners reported ongoing delivery issues.

Local perspective:

Some residents say they've waited weeks for mail. One woman said she waited more than a month for a greeting card. Another man said his jury summons never arrived.

Small business owner Dana Williams says the delays are affecting her bottom line. She owns a painting and drywall company, Level Up Painting & Drywall, with her husband and relies on the mail to collect payments.

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"It has put a damper on things. We can't trust a customer to even send their deposit in the mail," Williams said. "I mean, that's what pays our bills. You know, so at the end of the day, we don't have that money, then you're having to scramble."

Williams said a customer mailed a check on Nov. 26, but more than four months later, it still hasn’t arrived. She said it wasn’t returned to sender and hasn’t been cashed.

She said a second certified check mailed April 1 also has not arrived, forcing the customer to issue another payment.

"There's nothing that they can tell me — just that it's on the way to the next facility, wherever that may be," said Williams.

What we know:

Earlier this year, village and federal officials met with the U.S. Postal Service to address delivery issues in Brown Deer. The proposed solution included adding staff at the Brown Deer Post Office and expanding delivery into Sundays.

But Baldwin said those efforts have not resolved ongoing problems.

"Millions of Wisconsinites rely on the Postal Service to stay in touch with loved ones, pay bills, receive much-needed medications and cast their vote. We have a duty to find solutions to these difficulties for the people we serve," Baldwin said in a media release. 

She sent a letter to the Postmaster General this week seeking answers about staffing plans and how the agency is addressing issues identified in a March 2025 inspector general audit.

That audit found a 2024 policy change intended to increase efficiency instead slowed delivery. The inspector general found employees did not properly scan packages and did not pick up mail from collection boxes on schedule.

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Williams said she is glad the issue is getting attention but is unsure whether Baldwin’s letter will lead to meaningful changes.

FOX6 reached out to the Postal Service for comment. A spokesperson said the agency would respond directly to Baldwin.

What they're saying:

Baldwin’s letter can be read below:

"Dear Postmaster General Steiner,

I write you today to express my frustrations with ongoing mail delays and staffing shortages throughout Wisconsin. 

This is not the first time I have reached out to the United States Postal Service (USPS) about mail delivery issues on behalf of my constituents. I frequently urged your predecessor to improve service, emphasizing that USPS’s transition to the Local Transportation Optimization policy (LTO) led to a decline in mail delivery reliability across Wisconsin. This was confirmed by the USPS Office of Inspector General’s March 2025 Report for the Wisconsin region, which found a general decrease in service in the state after this disastrous policy was implemented. The report also found that customers were not notified of the impacts to service in their areas until after an issue arose or they directly asked questions. To make matters worse, the supposed cost savings attributed to the LTO were not even effectively tracked by USPS, making it difficult to verify whether the policy delivered any meaningful financial benefit. 

Most recently, I have heard from constituents who have endured long stretches without any mail delivery. In Brown Deer, residents experienced significant delays and inconsistent service from the Post Office on Bradley Road. Some reported going weeks at a time without receiving any mail. I have heard similar stories from my constituents in Madison, who have seen lengthy mail service delays across the entire city. 

I appreciate that USPS has addressed staffing shortages in these areas, but the agency must continue to prioritize the hiring and retention of workers across the state in order to prevent future staffing issues that contribute to mail delays. Despite my repeated warnings, it is clear that service issues have not been substantially addressed.

I request that you provide written answers to the following questions by April 30, 2026:

1. What was the retention rate among pre-career and career USPS employees from Fiscal Year 2024 to Fiscal Year 2025 in Wisconsin? What are the nationwide retention rates among pre-career and career USPS employees from Fiscal Year 2024 to Fiscal Year 2025?
2. How many USPS employees currently work in Wisconsin? How many open positions does USPS currently have?
3. Is USPS concerned with staffing shortages and retention rates in Wisconsin? If so, besides job fairs, what solutions have been implemented to address staffing challenges in Wisconsin, specifically?
4. How successful have the USPS-sponsored job fairs been at hiring new employees in Wisconsin and nationwide? Thus far, have job fairs resulted in long-term employment for Wisconsinites?
5. How has the USPS responded to the issues raised in the March 2025 OIG report regarding LTO implementation?
6. Has the USPS implemented the process to track Local Transportation Optimization savings as agreed to in the March 2025 USPS OIG Report? If so, can you provide an explanation of the process and any current findings?
7. How will USPS ensure customers are immediately notified of any impacts to service in their area moving forward?

Millions of Wisconsinites rely on the Postal Service to stay in touch with loved ones, pay bills, receive much-needed medications and cast their vote. We have a duty to find solutions to these difficulties for the people we serve. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and I look forward to your prompt response.

Sincerely,

U.S. Sen. Tammy Baldwin"