Florida Governor Ron DeSantis stopped by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District as the one year anniversary nears. Governor DeSantis signed the bill creating the district where Walt Disney World Resort mostly resides on February 27, 2023. While at the district, Governor DeSantis held a press conference to highlight the successes he sees from the new district over the last year. This comes as Governor DeSantis and other Florida leaders continue to battle with Disney in court cases over the future of the former Reedy Creek Improvement District. Most recently, Disney appealed a federal court’s decision to dismiss its lawsuit that alleged that Disney’s 1st Amendment rights were violated as the Governor used government to retaliate against the company’s opposition to a bill he supported.
For the press conference, Governor DeSantis was joined by Florida Secretary of Commerce J. Alex Kelly and also Martin Garcia, the Chairman of the Board for the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. Governor DeSantis now nominates all board members and Garcia is one of the leaders that was nominated by the governor. The full press conference can be watched here:
Governor DeSantis Hosts a Press Conference Highlighting the Work of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to Date https://t.co/XOL6KcTq4d
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 22, 2024
Throughout the course of the press conference, Governor DeSantis gave a brief history of the district as he saw it. He also highlighted what good work has happened in the district in the last year since his board members took over. He shared how small businesses are competing for bids for projects in the district and argued that Disney didn’t allow this before. The Governor also referenced the audit that the district had done recently and the changes that came from this. He also touted how the new district government has been able to reduce taxes for local companies. Both J. Alex Kelly and Martin Garcia also had moments to speak as well.
The press conference lasted just under an hour. Throughout the conference, the Governor didn’t attack Disney as aggressively as he did a year ago. Rather than the actions being based on retaliation as the Governor made it look a year ago as he bragged about being a “new sheriff in town” to reign in “woke Disney,” it was about a republican government. The Governor made a case for government regulation that was transparent. His message boiled down to transparent accountability.
This press conference isn’t the end of the discussion, however. Disney has a lawsuit in federal court against the governor and other Florida leaders. This came after district and state leaders cancelled contracts known as Development Agreements that were made between Disney and the former Reedy Creek Improvement District. These deals were discovered after the former district was dissolved and then replaced by the Governor. The district countersued Disney in state court over these Development Agreements as well. The outcome of both of these lawsuits remain to be seen. Daps Magic will continue to cover this story and provide updates as they become available.
What do you think about the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District? Is it everything the Governor says it is? Do you think it should remain or should it revert to the Reedy Creek Improvement District? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below!
