Governor’s stimulus funds chief named to veterans post

By Cy Ryan

Friday, June 18, 2010 | 4:38 p.m.

CARSON CITY – Charles Harvey, who has been overseeing the receipt and spending of federal stimulus funds for Gov. Jim Gibbons, is being re-assigned as executive director of the Nevada Office of Veterans Services.

Harvey will replace Tim Tetz who has accepted a position as national legislative director for the American Legion in Washington, D.C.

Gibbons created the office of director of Nevada’s American Reinvestment and Recovery Act and named Harvey after the Legislative Interim Finance Committee refused to put the position in the governor’s office. The finance committee decided it should go into the office of state controller.

The controller’s office then hired Mary Keating, a certified public accountant, for the job. Keating has a suit pending in federal court accusing the governor of getting her fired from her post in the state budget office because she leaked information that Gibbons improperly made personal text messages on his state phone to a female friend in Reno.

At an earlier meeting this month of the state Board of Examiners, Gibbons balked at recommending more money for the Keating position to keep it functioning until June 2011. He questioned whether there was duplication between the two positions and wanted to see the job description for Keating.

The board overrode his objection, 2-1. Gibbons has now eliminated his own director of stimulus funds.

Harvey served in the Air Force from 1985 to 1990. Before joining state government he worked in the Clark County Recorder’s Office.