{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415792", "Shore News Network article on Smith-led letter to U.S. Postmaster General'Jackson Post Office is Overwhelmed and Understaffed, Congressman Calls for Change'", "2026-08-12", "2026", "2026-08", "Republican", "House", "NJ", "Christopher H. Smith", "S000522", "chrissmith.house.gov", "chrissmith", "https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentquery.aspx", "scraper", "By Phil Stilton\n\nPublished August 12, 2026\n\nJackson, NJ \u2013 Anyone who has ever been to the Jackson Township U.S. Post Office on Bennetts Mills Road knows the place is a nightmare, especially after the federal agency closed the town\u2019s other post office many years ago.\n\nWith the rise in population in Jackson, people often cite their visit to the Jackson post office as not-so-pleasant experience\u2026and it\u2019s getting worse.\n\nNow, a coalition of elected officials is urging the U.S. Postal Service to take immediate action to address longstanding service problems at the Jackson Township Post Office, including considering the construction of a second full-service postal facility to meet the needs of one of New Jersey\u2019s fastest-growing communities.\n\nThey say the location is now a public safety risk.\n\nJackson is expected to hit 200,000 residents within 9 years, according to county officials. Things are going to get worse.\n\nCassville Post Office \u2013 2013. Shut down by USPS in 2012.\n\nIn an August 7 letter to Postmaster General David Steiner, Congressman Chris Smith, State Senator Owen Henry, Assemblymen Alex Sauickie and Robert Clifton, and Interim Mayor Jennifer Kuhn requested a formal meeting with USPS leadership to discuss solutions to what they describe as an ongoing postal service crisis.\n\nThe officials said residents have repeatedly voiced concerns about long wait times, overcrowding, inadequate parking, traffic congestion and staffing shortages at the Bennetts Mills Road post office.\n\n\u201cOur residents and businesses have repeatedly expressed grave concern over deteriorating service conditions, unsafe access, excessive wait times, and the inability of the current postal facility to adequately serve its residents,\u201d the delegation wrote. \u201cAs their elected representatives, we have a responsibility to ensure their concerns are heard and addressed.\u201d\n\nCongressman, lawmakers say growth has overwhelmed postal system\n\nThe letter notes Jackson Township has experienced decades of rapid growth, with its population increasing from about 25,600 residents in 1980 to nearly 61,000 today. Officials argue the township\u2019s postal infrastructure has not kept pace with that expansion.\n\nIn fact, it has shrunk. The Cassville Postal Station at 520 West Veterans Highway in Jackson, New Jersey, was suspended in December 2012 after its lease expired and could not be renewed. Operations were officially moved to the main Jackson Post Office at 915 Bennetts Mills Road.\n\nThat building now operates as a pet crematorium and funeral home.\n\n\u201cThe postal infrastructure serving our community has not kept pace with the growth and needs of your postal customers,\u201d the officials wrote.\n\nThe facility at 915 Bennetts Mills Road now experiences routine overcrowding, lengthy customer waits, insufficient parking and traffic backups that extend onto Bennetts Mills Road.\n\nThe officials said the situation has evolved beyond customer inconvenience.\n\n\u201cThis is no longer simply an issue of customer convenience; it is a matter of public safety and government responsibility,\u201d the letter states.\n\nOfficials seek second post office and facility expansion\n\nAmong the recommendations, the officials urged USPS to evaluate opening a second full-service post office in Jackson Township, modernizing and expanding the existing Bennetts Mills Road facility, and implementing immediate operational improvements to staffing and customer service.\n\nThe letter also points out that Jackson once had two postal facilities. The Cassville Post Office, located on West Veterans Highway, closed in 2012 because of lease-related issues, leaving the township dependent on a single location.\n\nThe local officials argue that today\u2019s population and commercial growth far exceed what the remaining facility was designed to handle\u2026and it definitely will not accomodate the anticipated growth level of 200,000 residents, even as the need for postal services declines.\n\n\u201cWe strongly believe the time has come for decisive action,\u201d the delegation wrote, specifically requesting USPS evaluate establishing \u201ca second full-service postal facility within Jackson Township,\u201d while also expanding parking, improving traffic flow, increasing staffing and modernizing the existing location.\n\nInterim Mayor Jennifer Kuhn said she has visited the Bennetts Mills Road facility and witnessed traffic congestion and safety concerns firsthand. However, the request is presented as a joint effort led by the township\u2019s congressional, state and municipal delegation.", 1, "2026-08-13T06:17:16Z", "2026-08-13T06:18:13Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://chrissmith.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=415792"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.6765948385000229, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}