Florida Governor Ron DeSantis continues to claim that the former Reedy Creek Improvement District has been improved thanks to his actions. This district is the home for most of Walt Disney World Resort. In 2023, the district was dissolved and replaced by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. The new version of this district has a board of directors that are nominated by the Florida Governor. Governor DeSantis thinks this has led to a better run district and told CNBC’s Last Call so during an interview.
The interview came after Disney had to appeal a lawsuit against the Governor and other Florida leaders that was dismissed. Disney alleges that its First Amendment rights were violated when the Governor began his attacks on the company after it came out against legislation he supported. This ultimately led to the former district being dissolved and replaced. Disney argues that this was government retaliation.
“I think it’s been a success story. I don’t view it as a fight at this point because I think that they’ve lost on the underlying claims,” DeSantis said on Tuesday to CNBC, one year after signing the legislation to create the new district.
While Disney’s initial lawsuit was dismissed, it has been appealed and continues to make its way through the courts. Former employees of the district have also shared of the disfunction that has come to the district since it was restructured as well. This has led to many employees leaving. Nevertheless, the Governor believes that the district is heading in the right direction.
“There were people pointing out and saying ‘oh, people in Central Florida are gonna pay higher taxes, the sky’s gonna fall,’” DeSantis said. “Those people were wrong.”
Along with the interview on CNBC, Governor DeSantis also posted on X about the milestone.
One year ago, I signed legislation ending what an independent audit found to be one of the worst examples of cronyism in modern U.S. history: Reedy Creek, a local government controlled by a single company; Disney.
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 27, 2024
While so many claimed ending the cronyism would be bad for… pic.twitter.com/RMPz5Qkyy8
Last week, Governor DeSantis stopped by the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to tout his successes with the district with a press conference. He highlighted what he claims are the wins of this new district. Disney has remained quiet and continues to push back through the courts.
Disney has appealed the dismissal of its lawsuit and says it will continue to fight against the Governor’s actions. “If left unchallenged, this would set a dangerous precedent and give license to states to weaponize their official powers to punish the expression of political viewpoints they disagree with,” Disney said in a statement. “We are determined to press forward with our case.”
What do you think about the changes that have been made to the former Reedy Creek Improvement District? Do you think it was right for it to become the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District? How do you think this controversy should be resolved? Share your thoughts and opinions in the comments below.
