Growing pains: Leland growth pushing post office into parking lot

LELAND, NC (WWAY) — Postal workers in Leland have been sorting mail out of a tent adjacent to the local post office for seven years, according to a letter carrier who works at the Leland Post Office. 

The letter carrier, who chose to remain anonymous, said that the tent racks up a daily rental cost of approximately $100. Over the course of seven years, that translates to an estimated cost of $250,000. 

The U.S. Postal Service clarified in a statement that tax dollars do not contribute to covering the rental expenses. 

Long-time resident Carmelo Garofolo said he’s known about tent’s presence over the years but noted no issues with receiving mail. 

“The white tent? Yeah, I knew that, yeah,” said Garofolo. “I saw it and had no problems then. Like I said, I’ve been there 11 years and no problems whatsoever. I think they’re really polite people” 

Echoing similar sentiments, other residents like Joel McLean reported no significant mail-related issues, although McLean highlighted anecdotal evidence from his previous role as a hiring manager, where postal workers expressed dissatisfaction with the demanding work schedules. 

“I was getting a lot of people at the post office wanting to come work, and they just couldn’t continue with, you know, 12, 14-hour days, 6 days a week and they were just getting burned out. So, that’s something that I think the U.S. Post Office is doing wrong these days,” McLean expressed. 

When approached for comment, U.S. House Representative David Rouzer said he was unaware of the space issue at the Leland Post Office prior to the inquiry, and that he would address the issue with the Postmaster General. 

“I’ll certainly visit with him about it,” Rouzer said. “The Postal Service though, many people don’t realize, is really an independent agency. Congress does not have much authority in terms of oversight,” Rouser said.

Rouzer also noted that with the growth of the region, he is not surprised that the postal location has made accommodations to keep up. 

“You’ve got so many people leaving the upper Midwest and the Northeast and moving south and southeast that I’m not surprised that this has become a bit of an issue there in Leland,” Rouzer remarked. 

The U.S. Postal Service said in a statement to WWAY: 

“The Postal Service generally receives no tax dollars for operating expenses and relies on the sale of postage, products and services to fund its operations. We installed a non-permanent structure at the Leland Post Office because it’s more cost-effective for our operations than renting a secondary facility. Since Leland and nearby areas are growing, we will examine our options, including whether to remain at the current location or find a more suitable facility when our lease approaches its expiration.

We are truly appreciative of the efforts our employees make to serve each customer whether at the retail counter or while delivering mail and packages to every home and business. We thank customers for their continued support.”