Beauregard Moves to End FY27 Furloughs, Boost School Funding
METHUEN — Mayor Beauregard announced legislation Friday to eliminate unpaid employee furloughs for fiscal year 2027 and increase investment in public education, the most consequential City Hall news as Methuen residents also gained new options this week for hazardous waste disposal, curbside composting and mail-in voting.
TOWN HALL
Mayor Beauregard's office said the proposed legislation would end unpaid furloughs for city employees in fiscal 2027 while directing more money toward the school system, though the announcement did not detail a dollar figure or timeline for City Council action.
Elsewhere at City Hall, the city opened preregistration for a new curbside composting program run with Black Earth Compost, intended to give residents an easier way to cut household waste. The Transfer Station on Huntington Avenue will host a Household Hazardous Waste Collection Day Saturday, July 18, from 8 a.m. to noon; construction debris, trash, recycling and yard waste will not be accepted. Vote-by-mail applications for the 2026 State Primary and State Election are now arriving in mailboxes, and eligible voters can request a ballot for one or both elections using the postage-paid form.
The city also plans preventive mosquito control spraying at parks, playgrounds, athletic fields and school recreation areas Monday, July 20, from roughly 9 p.m. to midnight, with Tuesday, July 21, as the rain date. A Community Development Block Grant Community Involvement Meeting is scheduled for July 29 to update residents on CDBG programming.
SCHOOLS
The furlough announcement carries a direct schools angle: Mayor Beauregard's office framed the legislation as pairing the end of unpaid furloughs with increased investment in Methuen's public education budget, though the district's own site listed no additional dated news this period.
COMING UP
Monday, July 20 — Circle of Hope Family Support Group.
Wednesday, July 22 — Zoning Board of Appeals regular meeting.
Thursday, July 23 — Methuen Retirement Board meeting, Charter Review Committee meeting, Historic District Commission meeting, and the Methuen Disability Pride Month flag-raising ceremony.