1. United States
2. W.V.
3. Letter

I am requesting an independent, external audit of the Rural Route Evaluation Compensation System (RRECS) used by the United States Postal Service to evaluate rural routes and determine compensation for rural letter carriers. There have been ongoing concerns regarding the accuracy, transparency, and fairness of the RRECS system, including questions about how route data is collected, calculated, interpreted, and used to determine evaluated hours and compensation. These concerns deserve a thorough and impartial review by an organization that is fully independent of the USPS. I understand that the Postal Regulatory Commission (PRC) and the USPS Office of Inspector General (OIG) are reportedly already investigating or reviewing issues related to RRECS. Those efforts are important, but given the widespread concerns and the complexity of the system, I believe an independent external audit is also necessary to ensure that the system is functioning as intended and that any problems are identified and corrected. I respectfully ask that Congress and/or the appropriate federal oversight authorities require an independent audit of RRECS, including an examination of its formulas, data collection methods, scanning requirements, mapping and mileage calculations, evaluation methodology, and the accuracy of the information used to determine rural carrier compensation. The audit should also examine whether identified problems have been adequately addressed and whether rural carriers have been fairly compensated when errors or systemic problems have affected their route evaluations. Rural carriers provide an essential service to communities across the country. They deserve a compensation system that is accurate, transparent, independently verified, and accountable. I respectfully request that the findings of any external audit be made publicly available and that meaningful corrective action be taken to address any deficiencies identified.