METHUEN — Should members of the city's boards answer to voters instead of the mayor? Should officials only serve three terms in an elected position?

Those are questions a group called Citizens for a Better Government wants to ask voters this fall.

"We need a change," said Pat Uliano, a former city councilor who leads the group.

Their goal is to review and possibly change Methuen's charter. They have attracted wide interest inside the city's political circles.

City Councilor Jeanne Pappalardo, a member of the group, said they are not out to remove anyone from power.

"We're not attacking anybody," she said. "All we want is to have a review of our current charter, which has not been reviewed in almost 20 years."

Council Chairman Philip Lahey Jr., who has been going to the group's meetings, agrees a charter review is needed.

"There's some issues I'm not totally in agreement with, but I do like the idea of having an elected charter study commission," he said. "It's been quite awhile since we've had legitimate charter changes."

The group wants to create a nonbinding ballot to be given to residents who vote in this fall's presidential election. They want to ask which type of government voters prefer: a mayor and city council, which is the current form; a town manager and town council; or a board of selectmen, town manager and annual town meeting.

The ballot will also ask residents if they support permanent term limits for the mayor, city councilors and School Committee members. Permanent term limits would mean an official could only serve three terms in a position. After those three terms, however, they could run for another position.

For example, a School Committee member could serve three terms and then run for the City Council, but never be allowed to return to the School Committee.

Politicians in Methuen already face term limits. They can only serve three consecutive terms in an elected position, but can return to that position after sitting out for a term.

For example, a city councilor can serve three terms, sit out for a term, and then return and serve three more terms as a councilor.

The ballot will also ask voters if they want board and committee members to be elected, and if any charter changes shall require a vote from residents.

The group has submitted about 200 signatures from residents supporting the nonbinding ballot. The City Council plans to hold a public hearing to discuss the proposal. Uliano hopes the hearing will take place soon.

The council will have to vote on whether to allocate money to pay for the ballots.

The ballot questions will serve as a "fact-finder" for Citizens for a Better Government to gauge whether the public is interested in a charter review. The group plans to campaign for a binding question in 2009, when residents would vote on whether to establish a commission to study the charter, Uliano said.

Commission members would be elected, Uliano said.

The group will need to collect 4,500 signatures to have a binding ballot question next year.

"There's nothing wrong, per se, with charter review," Mayor William Manzi said. "Do I believe that you need a full-blown charter commission? No."

Manzi said he'll be "open-minded," but disagrees with term limits.

"If the public wants them (elected leaders), why shouldn't the public have the right to vote them in, or conversely, vote them out?" he asked.

Manzi also disagrees with having elected boards, saying the mayor "who is the CEO of the community" would have less power to influence the city's direction.

"It's just a recipe for gridlock and a lack of progress," he said. "If everybody has their own agenda, how do you move the ball forward?"

The mayor can appoint people with whom he shares "similar philosophies" to serve on boards, Manzi said.

"You want the mayor to have the ability to get things done," he said.

Some people involved with Citizens for a Better Government

Pat Uliano, Zoning Board of Appeals member, former city councilor

Dorothy Kalil, former city councilor, Water and Sewer Commission Task Force member

Kathleen Corey Rahme, former city councilor who ran against Mayor William Manzi last year

Barbara Grondine, School Committee member

Philip Lahey Jr., City Council chairman

Kenneth Willette, city councilor

Larry Giordano, city councilor

Jeanne Pappalardo, city councilor

Joseph Pappalardo, former city councilor, Jeanne Pappalardo's husband