Report raises questions about Oceguera

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CARSON CITY — North Las Vegas records show Assemblyman John Oceguera was drawing full-time pay as the city’s assistant fire chief during 2009 and 2011 when he was serving much of that time at the Legislature in Carson City, a conservative think tank reported Wednesday.

But Fire Chief Al Gillespie and Chief Deputy Budget Director Jennifer Snyder came to the Las Vegas Democrat’s defense in response to a story the Las Vegas-based Nevada Policy Research Institute published Wednesday on its website, npri.org.

Gillespie said the records were inaccurate. They were scheduling program records, not payroll records, he said. Oceguera served as Assembly speaker in 2011 and as majority leader in 2009.

"John is a great public servant and does a terrific job as assistant chief and in the Legislature," Gillespie said. "There wasn’t much truth in the article."

The story contained records that showed Oceguera was working nine-hour days for the Fire Department when he was in the capital.

But NPRI Policy Director Steven Miller’s story included statements by Gillespie that scheduling programs were inaccurate and an email from Oceguera explaining how he received firefighter pay during the session.

The institute does not accuse Oceguera directly of any wrongdoing. It puts a question mark after its headline: "Speaker Oceguera — another government ‘double dipper?’ "

Gillespie said Oceguera worked at least one weekend day through most of the 2011 legislative session, took two vacation days most weeks and an unpaid furlough one day per week.

Fire officials in North Las Vegas work a nine-hour day and a four-day week.

Snyder said her review showed Oceguera was correctly compensated for the hours he worked or for which he took vacation time.

Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist Glenn Cook reported in Sunday’s newspaper that Oceguera’s total compensation for the first five months of the year, based on information given him by Snyder, was $67,384, although the Legislature was in session from Feb. 7 to June 7.

Neither Gillespie nor Snyder found fault with Cook’s column.

Oceguera has come under fire in the past from some North Las Vegas firefighters because he would trade shifts with them so that he could remain on payroll during the session. Some accused him of not quickly fulfilling his obligation to work shifts for them after they worked for him. As assistant chief since 2008, Oceguera no longer can trade shifts.

As a conservative organization, the institute traditionally has opposed spending and taxing policies advocated by Oceguera, who is term-limited from seeking re-election to the Assembly. He is expected to run for Congress in 2012.

In a legislative report card released Tuesday, the institute gave Oceguera a 32.98 percent positive score for his votes on bills it tracked during the legislative session. The institute considers officials with scores above 50 to be allies of economic liberty.

A spokesman for Oceguera, who asked for anonymity, called the institute’s report "complete ‘National Enquirer’ trash."

He said Oceguera would not be able to comment on the study for several days, although the speaker is scheduled to attend a meeting of the Legislature’s Interim Finance Committee today.

Contact Capital Bureau Chief Ed Vogel at evogel@reviewjournal.com or 775-687-3901.