The Town of Methuen was originally organized as a town in 1725 when Lt. Stephen
Barker petitioned to divide the Town of Haverhill. Governor Dummer signed the act
establishing the Town of Methuen, naming the town in honor of Sir Paul Methuen,
a friend of the Governor’s and member of the King’s Privy Council. The first Town
Meeting was held March 9, 1726.
Methuen operated under the Town Meeting form of government until 1917 when the
state Legislature allowed the town to organize as a city. In 1921 the Supreme
Judicial Court found that the City Charter had not been appropriately adopted under
the constitution of the Commonwealth. Methuen reverted to its status as a town
and established a Charter setting a Selectman/Representative Town Meeting
government. That Charter remained in effect until 1973 when Methuen’s first Home
Rule Charter became effective establishing a 21 member Town Council and Town
Manager. Methuen’s second Home Rule Charter in 1978 maintained the Town
Manager/Town council form of government, but reduced the number of councilors
to nine and increased the powers of the Council. Another Charter change approved
by Methuen voters in 1993 replaced the appointed Town Manager with an elected
Mayor. When he took office in Jan. 1994, Mayor Dennis DiZoglio became Methuen’s
first Mayor Since 1921.
Mayor DiZoglio’s successor, Sharon M. Pollard took office January 3, 2000.
GENERAL INFORMATION
County Essex
Population 1980: 36,701
--------------- 1990: 39,990
--------------- 2000: 43,789
Established as a Town December 8, 1725 (Resumed as a town--1921)
Obtained City Charter 1917, and again in 1972.
Type of Government Mayor / City Council
GOVERNMENT
Methuen's Home Rule Charter, as amended in 1993, provides for a city goverment
with the elected Mayor serving as executive & a nine-member City Council serving
as legislative body. The Mayor, whose term is two years, is responsible for
overseeing daily functioning of government departments. The Council, In addition
to establishing city ordinances, has authority to approve such matters as contracts
and appointments. The Council and seven-member School Committee are elected
by city voters for two-year terms.
