Early voting for the 2026 State Primary will be available to all registered voters beginning Saturday, Aug. 22 through Friday, Aug. 28 at Sanborn Hall, Public Safety Building, 90 Hampshire St.
No special circumstances are required to vote early. Any registered voter may cast their ballot during the following time.
Saturday, Aug. 22 and Sunday, Aug. 23, 9am-3pm.
Monday, Aug. 24 through Thursday, Aug. 27, 8am-4:30pm.
Friday, Aug. 28, 8am-noon.
Voters may also request an early voting ballot by mail. Applications are available on the City of Methuen website and must be returned to the City Clerk, 41 Pleasant St., Methuen, MA 01844. The deadline to apply for an early voting ballot by mail is Tuesday, Aug. 25 at 5pm.
Please note that once an early voting ballot has been cast, it is final. Voters who have submitted an early ballot are not eligible to vote at the polls on Election Day.
For more information, contact the City Clerk’s Office at (978) 983-8515.

City seeks
poll workers

The City of Methuen Election Department is recruiting poll workers for the Sept. 1 and Nov. 3 elections. Help support a fair, efficient voting process and play a vital role in your community. Interested applicants should call (978) 983-8515.

Curbside composting
aims to reduce waste

The City of Methuen has opened preregistration for a new curbside composting program in partnership with Black Earth Compost, giving residents a convenient way to recycle food scraps and other compostable materials while reducing waste sent to landfills and incinerators.
The program will launch once enough Methuen households have preregistered to begin collection.
Each participating household will receive a free starter kit from the city, including a curbside compost cart and certified compostable liners.
Black Earth Compost accepts a wide range of compostable materials, including fruits and vegetables; meat, bones, seafood and dairy products; eggshells and coffee grounds; food-soiled paper; and certified compostable products
Residents may choose from two collection options:
Weekly Collection: $21.99 per month or $119.99 for six months.
Every-Other-Week Collection: $16.99 per month or $94.99 for six months.
As participation increases, collection rates will decrease for all subscribers.
Participating households can divert up to 40% of their household trash from landfills and incinerators. Composting also helps reduce methane emissions while producing nutrient-rich compost that improves soil health.
Each spring, participating households will receive a voucher for one free 1-cubic-foot bag of compost, redeemable at participating local garden centers.
“Methuen has made tremendous progress reducing waste over the past several years,” said Mayor D.J. Beauregard. “This new partnership with Black Earth Compost gives residents another easy way to reduce their environmental impact while helping the City continue building on our recent success.”
The city’s recycling efforts have contributed to a 28% increase in recycling and a reduction in annual trash tonnage from approximately 20,000 tons in 2021 to 14,700 tons last year.
Residents can preregister by visiting Methuen.gov/Composting. For additional information, contact Joseph Cosgrove in the Department of Economic and Community Development at (978) 983-8563 or jcosgrove@methuen.gov.

Normandia leads
Veterans Dept.

On July 6, Marine veteran and lifelong city resident Jordan Normandia was unanimously confirmed by the Methuen City Council as the veterans services officer (VSO). There were 8 candidates, which a committee whittled down to 3 finalists who were brought to the mayor. Prior to the council’s vote, committee member Francisco Urena, who served as the Massachusetts Secretary of Veterans’ Affairs, spoke to the transparency of the search. Normandia previously worked in Mayor Beauregard’s office as communications & constituent services director.

 

Receive text, e-mail
alerts from city

Did you know that you can receive texts and/or e-mails for city alerts (urgent community notices, weather emergencies, office closures, etc.), notifications about city boards and committees, the winter parking ban, community events, City of Methuen employment opportunities, Rec Department events and more? Visit Methuen.gov and search “Notify me.”

Curbside clothes,
toy recycling underway

Methuen has expanded its commitment to sustainability by launching a curbside textile recycling program in partnership with the non-profit Planet Aid Inc. Residents can schedule home pickups for used clothing, footwear and other fabric items. Residents can schedule a free pickup by visiting www.planetaid.org/lp-home-donation-pickup or the city website (methuen.gov) or by calling (508) 893-0644. Pickups will take place on the first and third Saturdays of each month, and residents must schedule at least two days in advance. Items should be placed curbside in plastic bags by 8am on the scheduled pickup day.
Acceptable Items for collection:
Clothing: Men’s, women’s and children’s apparel.
Outerwear: Coats and jackets.
Accessories: Shoes, sneakers, purses, hats, belts and ties.
Additional items: Backpacks, sleeping bags, bedding, towels, small toys, stuffed animals and DVDs (but no other electronics or appliances).

This program comes at no cost to the City of Methuen or its residents. In fact, Planet Aid pays the city 9 cents per pound of collected textiles – turning waste reduction into a financial benefit for the community.
For more details, visit the Trash and Recycling page at www.methuen.gov.

Meeting, trash
schedules online

City Council and School Committee meeting schedules, as well as the trash and recycling calendar, are all available at cityofmethuen.net. Many city meetings are live-streamed and can also be found On Demand at methuentv.org; meeting minutes are posted on the city website. Find additional info on City Council at Methuen.gov/council and info on School Committee at Methuen.k12.ma.us/school-community.

Drop sharps, needles
at MPD kiosk

Methuen Health and Human Services now accepts sharps/needles from residents at the Police Department dispatch entrance kiosk, 90 Hampshire St. Free quart-size sharps containers are available at the kiosk, if needed or place items in a heavy-duty plastic container (such as a laundry detergent bottle) with a tight lid.
To dispose of acupuncture needles, knives/sharp-related weapons, surgical equipment and prescription pills, visit CVS at 76 Swan St., or Walmart at The Loop. Questions: Patrick McCarty, (978) 983-8664.

Transparency
Dashboard is online

Want to know how the city spends its tax dollars, brings in revenue and pays its employees?
The City of Methuen’s Financial Transparency Dashboard is now online. This innovative tool underscores the city’s commitment to financial openness and accountability, providing residents with an interactive and user-friendly platform to explore municipal finances.
“For the first time ever, Methuen taxpayers have the ability to track the city’s revenues and expenditures in real time and monitor how their tax dollars are being spent,” said Mayor DJ Beauregard. “This dashboard empowers our residents with easy access to crucial financial information. The City of Methuen is dedicated to maintaining transparency and increasing government efficiency.”
The Financial Transparency Dashboard (Methuen.gov/transparency) offers a dynamic interface where users can explore data on expenditures, revenue sources and vendor payments.
Key features include:
• Comprehensive Financial Insights. View detailed breakdowns of municipal spending and revenue allocation.
• Historical Data for Comparison. Access financial data from previous fiscal years to track trends and progress.
To access public payroll data, click “Explore the Operating Budget, then click “General Fund,” then click through each department.
Track vendor payments by clicking the Checkbook tab.
The portal will be updated at the close of each business week.

Do Not Knock
Registry is active

The Methuen Police Department invites residents to keep unwanted solicitors at bay via the city’s Do Not Knock Registry. Signing up online or in person can prevent door-to-door sales visits for a year. It’s a way to stay in control of your privacy and enjoy a solicitation-free home.
Once your address is added to the registry, solicitors must avoid that home. “Any canvasser, peddler, itinerant vender or owner or employee of a door-to-door sales enterprise” who violates the registry faces a $300 fine per offense and one-year revocation of solicitor license.
Visit Methuen.gov/DoNotKnock or stop by the Methuen Police Department to fill out a form.