WEST WARWICK — It was 7:06 p.m. when Town Council President Edward A. Giroux stormed out of Town Hall.

“I’ve just resigned as Town Council president,” he said, a stack of paperwork beneath one arm as he walked out the door.

Whether that’s a final decision remains to be seen, said Town Solicitor Timothy A. Williamson.

“I don’t know if there’s any finality [to the statement],” Williamson said. “I don’t know the conclusion. I don’t know if he’ll follow through. I don’t know.”

In order to resign, Giroux would have to provide written notification to the town. It is possible for him to resign from the presidency, yet remain on the council.

The Town Council began meeting yesterday at 6 p.m. in executive session to discuss, among other things, collective bargaining agreements. Something in the discussion, said council member David Gosselin Jr., led Giroux to leave the room.

“We were looking to save money,” said Gosselin. “There was a difference of opinion. [Giroux] wanted the council to go one way, the majority of the council felt differently.”

Council members would not say which contract they were discussing during the executive session, but Police Chief Paul A. Villa was in the room. The police union contract — as well as the municipal employee and Fire Department union contracts — expired June 30.

The open session didn’t begin until just before 8 p.m., with the middle seat reserved for Giroux empty. Council member Angelo A. Padula Jr. motioned to keep the minutes of the executive session open — a departure from the normal protocol for closed-door council talks.

“I thought that, maybe, sometime soon, the taxpayer should get to listen to it,” Padula said of the executive session minutes.

State law allows municipal organizations to meet in closed session for specific reasons such as to discuss litigation, negotiations or personnel matters. The law states that minutes of closed sessions must be made available at the next regularly scheduled meeting “unless the majority of the body votes to keep the minutes closed.”

At last night’s meeting, Padula, Gosselin and council member Filomena Gustafson voted in favor of keeping the minutes open. Vice President Peter F. Calci Jr. voted against the measure.

Solicitor Williamson said he needs to research whether keeping the minutes open is legal since the meeting deals with contract information; he said he will seek advice from the attorney general’s office.

“That’s one of the reasons there’s a 10-day period,” he said, referring to the amount of time a municipal agency has to respond to requests for information, “so no one’s rights get violated.”

Giroux joined the Town Council in 2003, after winning a special election to fill the vacant Ward 3 seat left by the death of Bernard F. Magiera. He won reelection in 2004, and was chosen to be vice president of the council. In 2006, he was reelected and chosen president of the council.

He recently was certified as a Town Council candidate for the November election. Giroux could not be reached last night, so it is unclear whether he plans to continue his bid for reelection.

tbuford@projo.com