Reedy Creek Improvement District is no Longer Controlled by Disney

This morning Florida Governor Ron DeSantis held a press conference at the Reedy Creek Fire Station. During this conference, he signed the legislation that will allow the government to take over the Reedy Creek Improvement District into law.

DeSantis has declared that this “corporate kingdom” is coming to an end and that there will be a “new sheriff in town.” He also made it clear that this is a response to The Walt Disney Company opposing the “Don’t Say Gay” bill or also known as The Florida Parental Rights in Education Act.

This new law also means that the district is now called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board and consists of a board appointed by the governor of Florida. As many of you may remember, one of the qualifications to be on the board is that the board members couldn’t have worked in the theme park industry within three years.

New Board Members

  • Martin Garcia (Tampa attorney)
  • Bridget Ziegler (member of the Sarasota County School Board)
  • Michael Sasso (Seminole County attorney)
  • Ron Peri (CEO of The Gathering USA)
  • Brian Aungst (Clearwater attorney)

DeSantis said that he selected a board filled with a variety of experiences. This includes people experienced in business, local government, and those who “want to see Disney be what Walt envisioned.” Many of us can argue that the Reedy Creek Improvement District is what Walt envisioned, but that’s a conversation for a different day.

In this press conference, the governor invited several guests to speak and share their experience with Disney. The topics touched on in this portion were mask mandates, vaccine mandates, and “immoral” content. The fire department chief took the stand, thanked DeSantis, and mentioned that the fire department supports the state takeover. The governor also said that one of the first things he wants to push is increasing the pay for the first responders.

After signing the bill, the firefighters of Reedy Creek presented Ron DeSantis with an axe. It is important to note that the new board will be meeting on March 8th, and later today, the governor will formally appoint the new board.

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