Deputy Police Chief Contract Extension Approved By Select Board

The Select Board quietly approved a new contract for deputy chief of police Charlie Gibson on Wednesday, giving him a 3.5 percent raise this year and a 4 percent raise the following year. The contract was approved unanimously and without discussion.

Gibson, the husband of town manager Libby Gibson and the longest-tenured officer at the Nantucket Police Department, will receive around $197,000 in wages next year. After adding his longevity pay, which is calculated separately, as well as a $60,000 per year “educational incentive" payment for a doctorate or law degree, Gibson's total compensation will be about $270,000 annually.

Gibson is the sole member of his union, the Laborers Local 1249. He is the only town employee who belongs to a so-called “union of one,” giving him a unique bargaining position when he enters into negotiations with members of town administration, who generally report directly to his wife.

In contrast to his most recent contract extension in 2024, Gibson’s name was not listed on the Select Board’s agenda next to the line item pertaining to his contract. In Wednesday's agenda packet, the contract was listed simply as a collective bargaining agreement with "LiUNA Local 1249."

The new contract also adjusts how Gibson’s pay will be prorated if he retires. Previously, the contract specified that longevity pay, which is dolled out in December, would not be prorated if Gibson retired partway through the year. Now, it says that “in the event of an Employee’s retirement, longevity will be prorated based upon the portion of the fiscal year worked.”

Gibson, who has worked for the police department since 1982, is now set to remain as the town’s deputy chief of police through June of 2028.

While Gibson's education incentive is six times more than the maximum $10,000 provided by the town to lieutenants and sergeants under their collective bargaining agreement, town of Nantucket human resources director Amanda Perry previously told the Current that the discrepancy is not significant because those officers are also eligible for education incentive payments under the state Quinn Bill that Gibson is not.

"When a union contract is negotiated, the town looks at the total compensation package relative to other unions across the town," Perry said in 2024. "With respect to Local 1249, the most comparable group is the Local 330A, representing the sergeants and lieutenants. Education is just one component of the contract, and this was shared with the Select Board. The deputy chief position is a critical position for the Police Department and the incumbent is experienced and educated in the field of policing."

Gibson attended Roger Williams University – where he earned a pair of bachelor’s degrees in public administration and administration of justice - and also earned his law degree through Roger Williams University’s School of Law.

Gibson, who has been with the Nantucket Police Department since 1982, is responsible for the management of the department's division of administrative services, which includes oversight of the Emergency Communications Center (e911), the Public Safety IT Network, the town-wide radio and telecommunications system, the business licensing office, along with fleet and facility management responsibilities.