Question: I was advised recently that there is no more same-day U.S. Postal Service processing on Oahu. The mail is picked up at the collection boxes as scheduled but is held until the next day for processing and then delivered the following day. This means a letter mailed in Honolulu can take two to three days to be delivered to an Oahu destination! Hopefully the Honolulu postmaster will reconsider this decision and provide better customer service.

Answer: You’re correct that the Postal Service’s operations have changed, slowing some mail delivery, but it’s due to a nationwide revamping of the agency — not limited to Hawaii and not reliant on Honolulu’s postmaster. The Postal Service is delivering a lot less first-class mail than it used to, and shrinking volume drove the agency to revise its delivery standards for that category of mail. The related processing and transportation adjustments occurred in January and were less drastic in Hawaii than elsewhere. The bottom line is that most stamped letters are now delivered in two days rather than one.

Duke Gonzales, spokesman for the Postal Service in Honolulu, explains: “The Postal Service is continually working to improve efficiencies by making better use of space, staffing, equipment and transportation to process the nation’s mail. Improving efficiencies has become increasingly important, given the significant reduction in the amount of first-class mail that enters the postal system. In the past 10 years, total mail volume has declined by more than 56 billion pieces (or 26 percent), first-class mail volume has declined 34.5 billion pieces (or 35 percent), and single-piece first-class mail (primarily letters bearing postage stamps) has declined 24.4 billion pieces (or more than 50 percent).

“For each of its products, the Postal Service sets standards pertaining to mail delivery so that customers and mailers can expect consistent and predictive delivery. In 2011, based on dramatically declining mail volumes and the subsequent excess capacity in its mail processing network, the Postal Service announced a consolidation of some of its processing and distribution facilities, adjustments to its mail processing and transportation procedures, and revisions to its first-class mail service standards.

“While no facilities in Hawaii were consolidated, mail processing and transportation adjustments were implemented at our Honolulu Processing and Distribution Center in January of this year. The changes included lengthening the mail processing window for first-class mail and adjusting the transportation schedule for processed mail. The added flexibility in our operations allowed us to better deploy our resources in our challenging, rapidly changing business environment and to create a more efficient, consistent delivery process.

“The nationwide change in first-class mail service standards affects roughly 9 percent of the total mail volume and up to 16 percent of first-class mail. The affected volume represents primarily single-piece first-class mail. Prior to the change first-class mail was delivered in an average of 1.8 days. Since the new service standard changes were implemented, first-class mail has been delivered in an average of 2.1 days.”

Q: I am buying a house on Oahu. For property taxes, do I have to apply for the homeowner’s exemption every year?

A: No. Once approved, the exemption should continue automatically from year to year as long as the home remains your primary residence. Make sure to apply by Sept. 30, assuming your home purchase is finalized by then.

The basic home exemption for taxpayers under 65 is $80,000, which means that $80,000 is deducted from the assessed value of the property and the homeowner is taxed on the balance. See realproperty honolulu.com.

Auwe

Auwe to the the woman who hit my truck from behind near McGrew Point on Thursday morning when everyone stopped for an ambulance. Your gray sedan had a lot of damage to the left front. Thanks for the trouble you caused. Akua knows. — A senior citizen

Write to “Kokua Line” at Honolulu Star-Advertiser, 7 Waterfront Plaza, Suite 210, 500 Ala Moana Blvd., Honolulu 96813; call 529-4773; fax 529-4750; or email kokualine@staradvertiser.com.