The Change You Need, The Voice You Deserve

Bettering Methuen one accomplishment at a time

INTEGRITY ~ LEADERSHIP ~ VISION

Rebuilding Methuen, One Pillar at a Time


Methuen Mayor Neil Perry has achieved many significant accomplishments over his time in office, from coronavirus safety measures to transparency in media. With a focus on rebuilding trust in Methuen, achieving these goals has been a team effort, backed by a leader with a clear vision of leadership and integrity. Here are some of Mayor Perry’s accomplishments from his first year in office.

Methuen Mayor Neil Perry

Transparency

A main goal of Mayor Perry’s initial campaign promise was to focus on transparency, and he has completed several key efforts to ensure every citizen is informed in a number of ways:

  • Initiated an RFP to conduct an audit of the Methuen Police Department, resulting in 23 recommendations on ways to improve it.
  • Initiated legislation to remove the use of full-time intermittent police officers in Methuen.
  • Added a Financial Transparency Center to the city website for all residents called CLEARGOV, which allows for graphical review of revenues and expenditures as well as comparison capability fiscal year to fiscal year.
  • Implemented SEECLICKFIX, a problem reporting and tracking platform, first for COVID, and recently updated for snow removal and trash related issues to allow residents to report online and track actions through to completion.
Methuen Mayor Neil Perry - Fiscal Responsibility

Fiscal Responsibility

On the financial front, many key initiatives were achieved:

  • Established a conservative fiscal oversight process with monthly department reviews, allowing us to end FY20 by adding almost $3M to our Free Cash bottom line.
  • Improved our financial outlook from Moody's from Negative to Stable.
  • Partnered with City Council to pass a conservative budget for FY'21 with an overall decrease in almost all department planned expenditures.
  • Drove a process in partnership with the City Council to hold almost $1m in excess capacity, resulting in the lowest tax increase in more than a decade.
  • Implemented a new take-home vehicle policy, drastically reducing the number of vehicles being driven home as a focus on financial accountability.
  • Completed long overdue heating system upgrades at City Hall.
  • Established a customer service center in the main tunnel at City Hall with significant tunnel upgrades and security features.
  • Procured and installed air purification units at city sites, including the VFW, the American Legion and MCTV.
  • Provided PPE for first responders and city workers, including spray guns for disinfecting.
  • Paid for COVID Education Officers and Mask Up Methuen campaign.
  • Planned and conducted Safe Community Events such as the alternative Trick or Treat Drive through.
  • Provided a Rental Assistance Program.
  • Returned Restaurant Licensing fees based upon the impact of the pandemic.
  • Provided health and safety updates to our senior center and the Nevin's Library.
  • Engaged with bilingual radio and newsletters aimed at increasing the flow of information and the connection to our Hispanic community.
  • Provided additional staffing to support the changes in voting, especially the mail-in and early voting capabilities.
  • Welcomed a brand new, state of the art facility for Dana Farber to Methuen on Branch Street.
  • Updated long obsolete software and hardware as a result of a cyber attack of the city's infrastructure in July 2020.
  • Obtained additional funding sources and completely re-constructed the outdoor track at Nicholson Stadium.
Methuen Mayor Neil Perry - COVID-19: Health and Safety Measures

COVID-19:
Health and Safety Measures

Mayor Perry took office right before the coronavirus pandemic hit. Since then, he and his office:

  • Established a contact tracing capability long before the state provided it.
  • Provided metrics to ensure maximum flow of information to residents, amped up our social media communication and published a monthly newsletter to share information.
  • Established an immediate remote capability in the spring with help by school staff and developed a plan for remote participation.
  • Established the Methuen CARES Center to check on seniors, quarantined individuals and housebound residents.
  • Opened "Stop the spread" testing sites, in partnership with the state, in two locations across the city; used federal funding to contract testing for students, staff, city workers and community, running six separate testing events at Methuen High School.
Methuen Mayor Neil Perry - Community Outreach

Community

Many initiatives for the betterment of the city as a whole took place this past year as well:

  • Created the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Group to provide the administration with key focus areas of improvement.
  • Established a COVID Vaccination Site for all Methuen residents.
  • Designed and implemented a comprehensive city web site as part of an overall communication strategy.
  • Facilitated the creation of active neighborhood organizations throughout the city.
  • Built upon our focus "War on Trash" to develop a sustaining Keep Methuen Clean program; developed a "Go Green" Program.
  • Implemented solar Panels, electric Vehicles, etc.
  • Supported additional artistic and cultural initiatives in the city (i.e., Light the Falls)
  • Continued to increase transparency and trust in local government through open communication.
  • Built upon financial gains observed in Year 1; developed a plan to get Methuen on track to recommended state levels of Free Cash and Stabilization.
  • Began the Implementation of MUNIS as financial and HR record keeping system across all city departments.
  • Centralized HR record keeping and processes across all departments.
  • Brought the City of Methuen into compliance with all Federal EPA Stormwater regulations.
  • Maximized the application for and participation in available grant programs at the state and federal level.
  • Established a 20th Anniversary Committee for 9/11 to ensure a significant remembrance.

As a result of these accomplishments and many more, the health of Methuen is steadily improving. Mayor Perry vows to continue this fiscally conservative approach to ensure the overall good standing of the community and take the necessary steps to engender trust from the community. In the end, ensuring Methuen's future entails safeguarding the accountability that every citizen demands and deserves.

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Address

P,O. BOX 305
Methuen, MA 01844
United States

Contacts

Email: info@mayorneilperry.com