Wichita ? City Finance Director Ray Trail resigned and Risk Manager Mike Payne was fired Friday as an investigation continued into reports that the two spent more than $50,000 in city funds while meeting with a consultant at posh resorts in California, Florida and elsewhere.

The departures came one day after Mayor Carlos Mayans said he would seek to fire City Manager Chris Cherches unless the controversy surrounding the two officials’ spending was resolved by next week.

Cherches announced Trail’s resignation, effective immediately, Friday evening, just hours after Payne was fired.

Payne had been on administrative leave since The Wichita Eagle and TV station KWCH reported last weekend about his and Trail’s travels during a 14-month period, from March 2002 through May of this year.

In all, they spent between $52,300 and $73,800 for nine trips that involved meetings with city health insurance consultant David McCleerey, according to the news reports.

Their itineraries included Newport Beach and Borrego Springs, Calif.; Miami, Key Largo and Key West, Fla.; and Hilton Head, S.C. The expenses included luxury accommodations, fine food and expensive wine, according to the reports.

Cherches said Friday an outside auditor was investigating the expenses and probably would not complete a report for several weeks. However, he said there was enough information to terminate Payne and force Trail to resign.

Trail, 53, has worked for the city for more than 30 years, most of those as the finance director. Cherches named Trail’s assistant, Kelly Carpenter, to direct the city’s finances in an interim capacity.