WRENTHAM - A local taxpayer's advocate says he favors recalling the chairwoman of the King Philip Regional School Committee over a negotiated deal in which the district agreed to pay 75 percent of a former high school principal's health insurance costs for life.

The principal, Michael Levine, is now having most of his health costs paid by King Philip even as he continues to work for a Rhode Island school district, according to KP officials.

Francis "Chip" Faulkner, associate director of Citizens for Limited Taxation, a statewide taxpayer group, says he would seek to recall current Chairwoman Claire Sullivan if a pending recall provision is approved.

Wrentham town meeting voters approved a measure allowing the recall of sitting town officials if a minimum 5 percent of registered voters sign a petition. The provision is awaiting state approval.

"She'd be out of here in a landslide," Faulkner said, adding Sullivan is one of only two members remaining who approved the 2003 contract provision. Faulkner, who spoke about the issue during town meeting, said the issue has provoked much discussion around town.

"A lot of people have stopped me to talk about it," he said. "So far, I have yet to hear anybody defend it."

The school committee voted to allow the former principal to have 75 percent of his health benefits paid for life, the agreement that was in force when he retired in 2005 after working for the school district for about five years. Teachers can qualify for a similar benefit, but only after working for 20 years.

Sullivan said she voted in favor of the benefit to ensure some administrative stability in the system after other key officials had left.

"Personally, my goal was to assure some continuity to our administrative team," said Sullivan, who declined to respond to Faulkner's recall comment.

Sullivan said the benefit resulted from negotiations between the school committee and Levine, a process that she said usually results in compromise.

"No one ever wins everything they want," she said. "Everyone has to get together and arrive at a compromise."