NARRAGANSETT — There is no shortage of interest in the soon-to-be formed committee that will study the nuts and bolts of a homestead tax exemption.

The town clerk’s office had received 20 applications as of yesterday afternoon, including one that had been withdrawn and another that was submitted Monday – too late to be considered for interviews next week, according to the clerk’s office.

The applicants include real-estate agents, business people, financial planners, certified public accountants, engineers, local civic leaders, activists and more.

Five applicants – at least one of them a real-estate agent – will be appointed to the nine-member advisory board, which will also include a Town Council member and three town employees: the community development director, the finance director and the tax assessor.

The council has scheduled interviews for next Monday and Tuesday evening, intending to interview half the candidates each night.

Once formed, the committee will be charged with establishing eligibility rules for a homestead tax exemption and reporting back to the council.

In a perfect world for homestead backers, the committee’s work would wrap up next month, allowing the council to vote and send a proposed exemption to the General Assembly for approval. If approved by the Assembly, the exemption would go before town voters for approval, according to a recent memo from Town Solicitor Mark McSally.

Once adopted, a homestead tax exemption would lower the property taxes on owner-occupied homes that are lived in year-round. Other matters, such as how the exemption would deal with rental units that are part of an owner-occupied home, or seasonal homes that are not rented would have to be worked out.

With those issues and others facing the committee, Council President T. Brian Handrigan said his top concern is making sure that whatever is done is done right, even if it delays sending a bill to lawmakers.

“If it’s possible to get it up there in January, that’s fine,” he said. “If it takes longer, so be it.”

The list of applicants contains names that are familiar and not so familiar to those who follow local politics.

Douglas O. Wardwell, the first person to apply, is president of the Narragansett Taxpayers Association. David J. Crook, a retired police officer, is a former Town Council member and one of the people who spearheaded the push for a homestead tax exemption. Carol J. Stuart, active with the Narragansett/URI Coalition and a strong supporter of a homestead exemption, is also an applicant.

Other familiar names include Joan Garceau, a regular speaker at council meetings, and Stephen Glazer, a retired lawyer and recent Town Council candidate who has said the town must make sure a homestead exemption does not conflict with the town’s two-tiered tax rate for residential and commercial properties.

The other applicants are Robert W. Shields, a retired chemical engineer; William R. Scott, a retired certified public accountant; Paul F. Haas, owner of an insurance agency; Linda A. Reich, who offers a mix of business, financial and mortgage expertise; Otis C. Wyatt, who retired in 1991 as the town’s fire chief; David P. Desforges, a business manager with financial and engineering expertise; Steven J. Ferrandi, an account representative/salesman; John A. MacLennan, who offers business and military experience; Benedict J. Ingegneri, a financial planner; John P. Hodnett, who offers experience as a certified public accountant and a real-estate broker; Joseph Robenhymer, a real-estate broker; Jeanne B. Lane, owner of a real-estate company; Michael G. Riley, who offers experience in financial investments but submitted an application too late for the interviews; and John W. Miller Jr., another homestead proponent who has a background in advertising and marketing.

Miller said he expected a healthy number of applicants.

“Nineteen was more than I expected, but it was not a very big surprise,” he said.