NARRAGANSETT — At the close of Town Hall business on April 21, Christine Beck, a longtime employee of the tax collector’s office, went home and told her father that she was going to be appointed tax collector that evening.

Then, shortly before the 7:30 p.m. Town Council meeting, she learned that the appointment had fallen through.

She came home, her father told the council last night, with tears in her eyes.

“Something happened,” James Beck said. “Someone made a phone call or said something.”

James Beck was not alone last night in trying to find out just what happened, but even after some of the most heated exchanges at a Narragansett council meeting in recent memory, the people asking questions left saying they were not getting all the answers.

The appointment issue was on last night’s agenda at the request of Councilman George F. Lenihan Jr., who said he had many concerns about the turn of events with the tax collector’s office — among them a delay in mailing tax bills this summer, a lack of experience among people now working in the collector’s office and “an alienated” employee in Beck, who later transferred to another department.

Walking through the events of April 21, he said, it was his understanding that Beck was told to come to the council meeting that night. Then at about 7:20 p.m., just before the meeting started, she was asked to leave.

“It just doesn’t look good,” he said.

Councilman James P. Durkin and a few speakers — though not all — seemed to agree. Among those who agreed were Douglas E. McLaughlin and Michael G. Riley, who are among 15 people running this year for seats on the five-member council.

The discussion at times focused on Councilwoman Krista J. Garrett, who recused herself from the April 21 discussion and also recused herself last night because a relative had applied for the tax collector’s post, according to Town Solicitor Mark A. McSally.

Lenihan was the first to make Garrett’s recusal an issue, saying a form she filled out prior to the April 21 meeting did not state the reason for her recusal, leaving that section of the form blank.

Minutes later, McLaughlin tried to ask Garrett if she had talked with Town Manager Jeffry Ceasrine about the appointment, but council President T. Brian Handrigan said she could not comment because she had recused herself. McLaughlin then asked Ceasrine if he had any discussions with Garrett about the appointment prior to the April 21 meeting.

Ceasrine, who had said repeatedly up to that point that he decided not to fill the tax collector’s post as a way to save money, responded that he had “a problem with the way” the discussion was proceeding.

“I don’t know whether this is an agenda item or an inquisition,” he said.

He added: “I will not discuss personnel issues … I’m not going to discuss that stuff publicly.”

The discussion ended when the council deadlocked 2-2 on a motion to formally withdraw the recommendation that Beck be appointed to the tax collector’s post, something that did not happen after the decision was made not to appoint her.

Garrett declined to comment after the meeting when asked who the family member was. She did however, make a reference to this being an election year, saying the politics are getting much “too personal.”

Lenihan said after the meeting that he believes Garrett was behind the last-minute decision on April 21 because her daughter had applied for the position. He also expressed frustration with Ceasrine, saying “Jeff was put in a tight spot, but you know what, he didn’t come clean.”

Ceasrine said in an interview earlier this month that the goal in not filling the position was to save money by having Finance Director Robert J. Uyttebroek also serve as tax collector. Ceasrine also said there was no connection between the late tax bills and his decision.

In an interview after last night’s meeting, Ceasrine said Uyttebroek is being paid an additional $125 a week for serving as tax collector, on top of his $87,357 salary as finance director. The tax collector’s post by itself has a salary in the $40,000 range, he said.

redgar@projo.com