Washington
AP
—

Louis DeJoy, the Chief of the US Postal Service, announced his plans to resign on Tuesday after nearly five years in office. His tenure coincided with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, a significant rise in mail-in voting, and efforts to reduce operational losses through various cost-saving measures.

In a letter sent on Monday, Postmaster General DeJoy urged the Postal Service Board of Governors to start the search for his replacement.

“I have devoted immense effort to guide the 640,000 employees of the Postal Service in achieving an extraordinary transformation,” he stated in his letter. “Together, we have served the American public through an unprecedented pandemic and a time of soaring inflation and heightened political tension.”

DeJoy took over leadership of the postal service in the summer of 2020 during the administration of President Donald Trump. As a Republican donor with a background in logistics, he was notable for being the first postmaster general in almost twenty years who did not have a history in the postal service.

During his tenure, DeJoy implemented a comprehensive 10-year strategy aimed at modernizing operations and reducing financial losses. He previously indicated that postal customers might have to adapt to “unpleasant” rate increases as the agency strives for financial stability and greater self-sufficiency.

This strategy involves enhancing the mail delivery system’s efficiency and cost-effectiveness by streamlining mail processing centers. However, critics, including some congressional representatives from various states, claim that the initial consolidations have hindered service and that additional closures may negatively impact rural deliveries.

DeJoy has countered these claims, asserting during a heated September hearing that the Postal Service has made much-needed investments in outdated facilities and implemented other adjustments to establish “a forward-looking Postal Service” capable of expedited mail delivery.

Furthermore, DeJoy managed the postal service during two presidential elections that saw a marked increase in mail-in voting.

In the lead-up to the 2020 election, a federal judge intervened to restrict one of the cost-saving measures implemented by the postal service, which was found to cause delivery delays. DeJoy had significantly cut overtime for postal employees and halted extra deliveries during the summer of 2020, which, while reducing expenses, resulted in some mail being postponed for the following day.

In his letter, DeJoy expressed his commitment to ensuring a “smooth transition” for his successor.