The Windham Town Council named its officers for the coming year Tuesday night, but not before engaging in a sharp debate that cast into doubt the councilors’ claims of moving past the acrimonious atmosphere of the past year.

Carol Waig, recently elected to her second term on the Town Council, was named chairwoman, replacing John MacKinnon, who was named vice chairman at the same meeting.

But Waig’s appointments sparked disagreement between her supporters on the council, who felt she was the best person to serve as chairwoman, and those who questioned her attendance and ability to bring disparate opinions together.

Councilor Donna Chapman asked whether Waig, who has missed some meetings and left others early, would be able to fulfill her duties. Kaile Warren, who was also nominated as chairman, said he did not believe Waig would be able to lead the council away from the bickering that has taken place over the last year. Warren then read minutes from a meeting in which a Planning Board member criticized Waig as proof that she could not help the Town Council deal with other town departments.

Waig responded that the health and personal issues that forced her to miss meetings were not a public matter, and she was appalled at what she called personal attacks by Warren.

Councilor Bob Muir said it was natural for the volunteer members of the Council to miss some meetings, whatever the reason. He added that the voters spoke “loud and clear” in re-electing Waig, and hoped the end of the election cycle would signal a new day in Windham.

“I would look at this as a new council year, a clean slate,” Muir said. “I hope we do not have a continuation of last year at all.”

Councilor Blaine Davis said that he, too, hoped for a changed attitude from the council, but was upset that the council reverted to its old ways almost immediately.

“That was done within 15 minutes of me walking in here,” he said, referring to an incident at the beginning of the meeting in which MacKinnon criticized Davis and Warren for missing Saturday’s town meeting.

“I’m wondering whether we are going to have a five person Town Council or a seven person Town Council,” MacKinnon said at the start of the meeting. He said as council chairman he should have been informed of their absence prior to the meeting.

Davis said he went away for the weekend with his wife to celebrate their anniversary, and he criticized MacKinnon for bringing up the matter unannounced in a public meeting rather than asking him first privately.

“If you have any other questions, we can talk about them later, and not here,” Davis said.

Warren said he was visiting a severely ill friend in the hospital during Saturday’s town meeting.

“Frankly, I have the best attendance record on the council,” said Warren, who also disagreed with the timing of the question. “I think that’s really uncalled for.”