Concerns arise over CFO's Jim Beard past bankruptcy filing, alleged child abuse charge

• City of Atlanta

Last week, Atlanta Chief Financial Officer Jim Beard appeared ready to accept a new position as the next city manager of Coral Gables, Fla. But the Florida native now appears to be staying at City Hall after contract negotiations broke down amid past reports of a child abuse allegation, bankruptcy filing, and multiple suspended driver's license offenses. The recently revealed details have raised the eyebrows of some Atlanta City Councilmembers.

Beard withdrew his name from consideration for the city manager position earlier this week several days after his hiring had been unanimously approved by Coral Gables commissioners. Beard, who's worked for City Hall since 2010, was selected from a pool of more than 100 candidates. Prior to moving ahead with the job, he had been holding out for a three-year contract worth nearly $700,000, paying him $9,000 more per year than he receives as Atlanta's CFO.

Before Coral Gables commissioners signed off on Beard's hiring, they awaited the results of a background check that, oddly enough, was conducted at the end of their city manager search. The report found that Beard had filed for personal bankruptcy in Miami federal court in 2004 and had 14 tax liens tied to one of his former companies. According to the Miami Times, the background check also revealed that the mother of his 12-year-old son had pressed a domestic abuse charge against Beard in 2011. The CFO, who called it a "bogus charge" concurrent with a paternity lawsuit, said the claim was later dismissed. And the Miami Herald says that Beard's driver's license was suspended three different times.

Mayor Kasim Reed spokeswoman Anne Torres declined to make Beard available for this story. But Beard told multiple Miami news outlets he had informed Coral Gables commissioners about his past prior to the background check. Their interest in Atlanta's CFO waned when they learned about the incidents. Those issues, combined with his push for a long-term contract, reportedly caused the deal to fall through at the final hour.

Back in Atlanta, questions are now being raised about why his past never came to light when he applied to work at City Hall. Torres tells CL that Beard submitted to a background and criminal check before being hired in 2010 as Atlanta's Department of Watershed Management CFO. His work in that role — which included managing a more than $450 million budget and reducing annual debt service costs by $5 million — helped make him the top choice to replace former Atlanta CFO Joya De Foor.

"Since then, the City has seen consistent progress in its financial standing," Torres says. She rattled off a laundry list of financial accomplished such as two increases in the city's fund balance, two millage rate decreases for general funds, and credit upgrades. The city's racked up national awards and recognition, Torres says, and benefitted from his oversight of the city's three pension boards. "In short, the City is in better financial condition today than it has been in over a decade."

Multiple Atlanta City Councilmembers tell CL they don't recall seeing Beard's past history presented to them prior to confirming his appointment. Councilwoman Yolanda Adrean said she'd just learned about the details and planned to contact the city's human resources department for more information. Councilman Alex Wan, who's unaware of any plans to revisit Beard's appointment, says that any decision must consider the CFO's job performance at City Hall.

"This has just come to my attention, as it has with others," Councilwoman Felicia Moore tells CL. "A background check is required in Atlanta, but I did not hear of these items until now. The Administration would have to answer whether or not they knew. If they did it was not shared with the Council. I think this is an issue for the Committee on Council to address, to ensure that we get full information. Of course the findings are of concern."

Torres insists that Beard was a qualified candidate and went through all the proper channels to gain employment with the city. In addition, she says, the CFO's past information, including what emerged during the Coral Gables hiring process, had been attached to the Council resolution approving his promotion in 2011. (We've requested documents related to Beard's hiring through an Open Records Request.) Moving forward, Reed fully supports Beard in the position he's held for the past three years.

"Mayor Reed continues to have confidence in Jim’s leadership and believes that he is the right person to continue to lead the City’s Finance Department," Torres says.