James S. Reynolds, 56, had been the subject of withering public criticism since reports that he signed off on questionable spending by fired recycling program manager Craig P. Wittig.

County Manager David Cooke said Monday he could not comment on whether he had asked Reynolds to leave, citing the state's personnel privacy law.

"About all I can say is that I received his resignation and accepted it," Cooke said.

Cooke confirmed the resignation after a reporter called Reynolds' office Tuesday morning and was told by a receptionist that he no longer worked there.

Reynolds, who had worked for the county since 2002, could not be reached Tuesday at his home.

Following Wittig's firing June 3, Reynolds was demoted and his pay was cut. But he had remained on the county payroll at a salary of $85,000 a year.

Cooke and members of the county Board of Commissioners received hundreds of calls from outraged taxpayers in the wake of reports about the questionable use of county credit cards in the solid waste division. Many callers demanded to know why Reynolds still had a job.

Following the public outcry, Cooke reviewed the actions of Reynolds and others involved in the scandal.

Cooke said he is still in the process of making decisions about other solid waste employees beyond Reynolds and Wittig. He said he expects to complete the review by July 18. That is the date by which Cooke has pledged to provide documentation about the questionable spending to Wake District Attorney Colon Willoughby for possible criminal prosecution.

"That's still open since the investigation is ongoing," Cooke said when asked whether other employees might be leaving.

In the little more than two years he worked for the county, Wittig took at least 50 out-of-town trips -- an average of two a month. He and five subordinates racked up $161,233 in travel costs and other expenses to credit cards issued by Wake County and paid for with public money.

Reynolds signed Wittig's credit card statements, lending his approval to four trips to Walt Disney World and a whale-watching cruise off the coast of Maine. Reynolds also approved such purchases as a GPS navigation device, expensive binoculars, camping equipment, books and CDs.

Cooke said the county had recovered most of the items, with the notable exception of the GPS unit and its accessories, which cost more than $900. In an interview last month, Wittig said he did not know where the device is.

On Monday, Wake commissioners voted unanimously to hire an outside auditing firm to perform a sweeping audit of past spending by the more than 500 employees who have the government credit cards. The review will cost up to $150,000.

Cooke has pledged to make budget cuts to reimburse taxpayers for the cost of the questionable spending and the resulting audit. Cooke also has strengthened internal controls on how the government credit cards can be used and has clarified what expenses are considered legitimate.

Joe Bryan, chairman of the county board, said Tuesday he supports Cooke's actions.

"We need to reassure the public that their money is being handled responsibly," Bryan said. "I think the manager has handled a complex and difficult situation in a professional manner and he is taking the steps need to ensure nothing like this ever happens again."