Florida House Passes Bill to “Change” Disney’s Reedy Creek District
Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District has been the subject of uncertainty for some time now.
Photo Credit: https://www.worldofwalt.com/disney-private-government-disneys-reedy-creek-improvement-district.html
After Disney’s critical response to HB 1557 angered Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, a campaign to rescind Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney’s special taxing district responsible for overseeing Disney-owned properties in Central Florida, was launched.
While we’ve reported on all the steps in Florida’s vengeful journey to remind Disney who’s truly in charge within the state, a major milestone in the passing of the bill occurred on Thursday.
Florida House Lawmakers Pass HB 9B
In a vote Thursday, February 9th to rename and revise the Reedy Creek Improvement District, the Florida House approved the bill with a vote of 82 to 31, as reported by CNN.
Photo: Fox Business
As we’ve recently reported, if approved, the bill will change Reedy Creek in some ways — but it might not be how you might think. In reality, the name will be changed to Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), and some of the ways the district governs will also change.
(AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)
While Reedy Creek has historically been governed by leaders appointed by The Walt Disney Company, the CFTOD will have a board appointed by Governor DeSantis. Note that the Florida Senate, however, must approve the new board members.
The new CFTOD board will then have the ability to oversee infrastructure, water and sewer, parking, roads, and more within Disney property.
Photo: Fox
However, the bill will not affect the former Reedy Creek’s contracts or existing debt. In other words, the district may be changing in name, but it’s mostly just a political strategy by Ron DeSantis to gain a small level of control over Disney.
The Florida Senate will vote on the bill within approximately 36 hours, and it’s expected to pass. DeSantis will subsequently receive the bill for final approval.
Photo: Reedy Creek
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