Atlanta CFO Beard withdraws from Florida job

One of Atlanta’s top administrators has decided against taking a job running the city of Coral Gables, Fla., which he won last week after a national search.

City of Atlanta Chief Financial Officer Jim Beard won’t become Coral Gables’ next city manager, Beard confirmed to The Atlanta Journal-Constitution after the Miami Herald published a story of the decision Tuesday afternoon.

Beard says he decided against accepting the job because the city refused to grant him a 3-year contract. The Miami Herald report also says the city commission began a new search for a city manager after a background check showed Beard filed for bankruptcy 10 years ago. Beard told the Miami Herald the Coral Gables commission that voted to hire him on Sept. 13 knew about the bankruptcy.