PARIS — Two selectmen denied a published report Wednesday that they told Town Manager Phil Tarr just days after his wife’s funeral that they wouldn’t be renewing his contract.

“I have no idea where they got that information from,” Co-chairman Robert Kirchherr said of a report in the Advertiser-Democrat that was reprinted in the Sun Journal. He said it contained falsehoods.

“It made me very uncomfortable because of the nature of the facts that were presented,” he said.

Co-chairman Jean Smart said she was accused of “in front of an open casket, talking about town business. It never happened, folks,” she said. “That’s all I can say.”

Tarr was out sick Wednesday and did not attend the meeting, but told the Advertiser-Democrat two weeks ago that Kirchherr and Smart approached him and told him the board didn’t plan on renewing his contract. Tarr said he was told to “give them a decision” and speculated that the board planned on forcing his resignation. He said he plans on meeting with them June 7.

Selectman Ted Kurtz said he had no issue with the story but said he was “taken aback” by an editorial published in the Advertiser-Democrat.

Several residents defended the board. Barbara Payne recalled an instance when she was misquoted in the Sun Journal and said she was giving selectmen the benefit of the doubt. “I cannot believe there’s anybody on this board that could make such comments and be so crude,” she said.

The Rev. Anne Stanley said she saw Selectmen Kirchherr, Kurtz and Smart at Tarr’s wife’s funeral and said they were supportive.

Tarr told the Advertiser-Democrat that his severance pay, if removed for a reason other than gross misconduct of office, is $42,750. He said he would be investigating his legal rights.

[email protected]