The Bergen Record reports that Cheryl Fuller has officially resigned as Englewood's city manager.  Fuller first became city manager in August 2004.

Fuller's short tenure turned out to be both controversial and expensive.  

Fuller got off to a rocky start when her contract, providing free "post-retirement health benefits until death," was mysteriously expanded to grant the same benefit to over a hundred additional city employees. To many, it came to be known as the infamous "free lifetime health benefits" ordinance.

While this controversy was not Fuller's fault, the scandal brought attention to the generous package Fuller received from the city. In an article entitled "Health benefits deal leaves residents fuming," Record reporter Carolyn Feibel quoted one aggrieved taxpayer as saying, "I don't get benefits like that." And in an apparent knock against Fuller herself, the Mayor declaimed, "Englewood can't afford lifetime health benefits for anybody making over $100,000 a year."  However, Wildes failed to veto the ordinance.

During Fuller's tenure, critics objected to her performance, or lack thereof. Some believed that the city manager was capable but distracted by her other work. While receiving a fulltime salary of $142,000, Fuller also held outside jobs with the city of Orange as well as the New Jersey Public Employment Relations Commission.  To put this in perspective, the Governor of NJ earns $175,000 per year for his fulltime work.

In early 2005, Fuller got herself into hot water when she hired an assistant for $98,000 without telling the city council.  The city charter allows for an assistant's salary of only $63,000.  Many residents and some councilmembers were outraged by this apparent act of insubordination and profligacy.

Fuller leaves Englewood with a Golden Parachute of $147,851.