SOUTHAMPTON — The Select Board sealed the deal with former mayor of West Springfield Edward Gibson, signing a contract with the newly hired town administrator.
Gibson, who is currently the town administrator of Becket, said he starts on Jan. 8 with a salary of $80,000. The Select Board voted unanimously for Gibson as town administrator in November, agreeing that his experience stands out from the other candidates for the position.
Gibson grew up in Agawam and has lived in West Springfield for the past 25 years. He worked as manager of West Side Hardware in West Springfield from 1978 to 1997, and as an acquisition analyst for Aetna from 1997 to 2000.
He started in municipal government in the late 1990s, serving on the Finance Committee in West Springfield.
When West Springfield voted to change its charter from a town form of government to a city in 2000, Gibson said he remembers coming home and talking to his wife about running for a position, possibly on the council.
Gibson recalls his wife saying, “You’ve got better credentials” than the other candidates for mayor, and he decided to run.
He served for nearly 12 years as mayor. One of the biggest projects he oversaw involved construction of a new high school — a $107 million project, with $86 million funded by the Massachusetts School Building Authority.
But during his time as mayor of West Springfield, Gibson faced some controversy. In 2011, former superintendent Suzanne Marotta filed a civil complaint at Hampden Superior Court against Gibson citing sexual harassment. Marotta, who was superintendent of West Springfield from 1997 to 2010, claimed that her denial of Gibson’s sexual advances lead to her contract not being renewed.
An agreement was reached outside of court, Gibson said, and no city funds were used.
“There was no truth in the allegations, either,” Gibson added.
Select Board Chairman Charlie Kaniecki said town officials are aware of the lawsuit and said they found nothing that would prohibit Gibson from doing the job of town administrator.
“That was thoroughly vetted,” Kaniecki said.
Gibson did not run for re-election after his term ended in January 2012, saying running a campaign every two years took away time away from work. In 2013, he was hired as the town administrator of Becket.
Southampton has been without a permanent town administrator for over a year. Former town administrator Heather Budrewicz left in November 2016 after two years on the post to become town administrator in Ashburnham. Former Springfield mayor Robert Markel has worked as interim town administrator since.
Markel will stay on board until a special Town Meeting on Jan. 16 to ensure there is a smooth transition, Kaniecki said.
“I have a great deal of homework,” Gibson said. “I’ll have a busy December.”
Caitlin Ashworth can be reached at cashworth@gazettenet.com.