In a letter to the editor at the Orlando Sentinel, Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board chairman Martin Garcia has said that Disney “still holds too much sway” in the District.
Central Florida Tourism Oversight District Board Chairman Pens Letter to the Editor Against Disney
In the letter, Garcia mentions the recent vote on property tax rate cuts, and how Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista voted to raise property tax rates the following day, “in order to continue paying the bills for security services used by Disney.” The letter later goes on to say that prior to the appointment of the CFTOD board, “Disney enjoyed undue influence over many businesses in the district.”
You can read the letter in full below:
Last week, the new board of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District proposed providing economic relief to residents by cutting property tax rates — an action that would have been possible because of the elimination of government waste and abuse. The following day, however, the city councils of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista surprisingly voted to raise property tax rates in order to continue paying the bills for security services used by Disney. The CFTOD board remains convinced that a multibillion-dollar corporation is more than able to cover this cost.
This peculiar, though not wholly unexpected, development makes it that much more apparent why the new CFTOD board is essential as an independent and honest broker. Until the new board was appointed, Disney enjoyed undue influence over many businesses in the district. It further unduly influences city council members, who rent their homes from Disney.
The CFTOD board recognizes that it is up against a corporate behemoth. But it will not be deterred from serving as a champion for all constituents in the district by finally bringing independence, fairness and transparency to the district.
Martin Garcia Tampa
Martin Garcia is the chairman of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
This is the latest installment in the long-running feud between Disney and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, who hand-picked members of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District board when the Reedy Creek Improvement District was dissolved.
DeSantis has previously argued that he is attacking an incredibly vague perception of something he calls “woke politics,” allegedly invading the state — frequently stating his intention to put the people of Florida first through these actions and the newly-formed CFTOD board:
Disney has gotten away with special deals from the state of Florida for way too long. It took a look under the hood to see what Disney has become to truly understand their inappropriate influence.
Most recently, Disney’s motion to dismiss the countersuit by the Board was denied, after Judge Margaret H. Schreiber ruled that the lawsuit was not “moot,” as Disney claimed. You can read more about that here.
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