Methuen council votes to declare Central District seat vacant amid residency dispute

The Methuen City Council voted to declare the Central District council seat vacant on a determination that the incumbent no longer meets the city charter's residency requirement. The motion, made during the council’s regular meeting, passed on a recorded roll call and the chair announced the seat vacated by majority vote.

The council debated a packet of materials the chair said showed Councilor Joel Ferretra had purchased a home in Manchester, New Hampshire, and included social-media posts and a letter from a relative stating Ferretra no longer lived at his Methuen address. The chair distributed the documents and opened the matter for discussion among councilors.

The city solicitor told the council that the charter “is very explicit that the city council shall be the judge of the election and the qualification of its members,” and that under Section 2-1(b the council may determine whether a member remains a resident and, if not, declare the seat vacant. The solicitor said that a council determination that a member is no longer a resident renders the seat vacant under the charter.

Several councilors said they were troubled by what they described as evidence on social media and by a homeowner’s statement that the family of Ferretra no longer lives at the Clawson Court address. Others urged caution and said the council should weigh only verifiable evidence and preserve due process. Ferretra had submitted a written statement saying he owns a home in Manchester and plans to make it his permanent residence in the future but that the transition was not yet complete and that he intended to remain engaged until Oct. 3.

After discussion, the council moved to determine whether the member met the residency requirement. On a roll call recorded at the meeting, the motion received six yes votes; two council members were absent. The chair declared the Central District seat vacated effective at the vote.

The council did not record a named mover for the motion in the public transcript; the roll call recorded several councilors voting yes. The solicitor and council members said the council’s determination establishes the procedural basis for a vacancy under the charter. The council did not take follow-on action at the meeting to fill the vacancy.

What happens next: the seat is vacant under the council’s determination; the council can follow charter rules for filling vacancies and staff expect to provide procedural guidance and next steps at a subsequent meeting.