Why Are People Quitting Rather Than Working with CFTOD?
The plot thickens with the former Reedy Creek Improvement District.
After more than six months in charge, Florida Governor’s hand-picked board for the former district has struggled mightily.


Photo:Wikimedia
Now, an independent journalist has learned another shocking fact.
Former Reedy Creek employees are mass-quitting rather than working for the new board. What’s happening? Let’s talk it through.
Dramatic Losses


Photo: Fox Business
In early September, we didn’t sugarcoat the Reedy Creek woes.
The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District’s first six months on the job were disastrous.


Central Florida Tourism oversight district
Less than two months after I wrote that article, the CFTOD dropped the ball again by agreeing to a no-bid million-dollar contract.
This questionable agreement happened behind closed doors, and the journalists reporting the story clearly caught the board members off-guard.


@HazenWESH on Twitter
The CFTOD had planned to meet last week before punting that meeting until November 15th, giving the members time to speak with their lawyers. Again.
Thus far, the lingering impression that everyone on both sides of the political aisle holds of the CFTOD is that its members are utterly incompetent.


Photo: Moneycrashers.com
Now, we’re starting to learn the cost to Disney fans as well as Floridians who rely on tourist money to keep their taxes low.
Thanks to some good reporting, we’ve now got evidence that the continued failures of the CFTOD are driving away loyal employees…and skilled ones at that.


Photo: Orlando Business Journal
Jason Garcia runs a Substack called Seeking Rents. The investigative journalist’s stated goal with his work is to “(cover) corporate influence in Florida.”
As part of his research, Garcia has investigated what has happened behind the scenes with the CFTOD since the new board started.


Photo: Spectrum News 13
The short answer is that lots of people have quit. We’re talking about a massive amount of institutional knowledge that has fled Reedy Creek.
According to the reporter, the CFTOD has “lost more than 350 years of combined experience in the nine months since DeSantis announced his plans to seize control from Disney.”
What’s Happening at Reedy Creek


Photo: Reedy Creek
Garcia’s research suggest that more than 30 workers have left their jobs at the former Reedy Creek.
These employees simply weren’t willing to deal with the CFTOD, whose board members developed a reputation for a “toxic workplace.”


Photo: The Business Journal
The losses start at the top and work their way down to all phases of the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
Reportedly, “nearly half the senior leadership team” has resigned. This group includes “the district administrator, chief financial officer, building official, fire chief and district clerk.”


Photo: The Business Journal
You can think about what your business would be like if five key figures suddenly left your company. You probably wouldn’t even know who your boss is for a while.
That’s what’s been happening at the former Reedy Creek as Ron DeSantis’ appointees attempt to claim control over Walt Disney World’s land.


Photo: The Wall Street Journal
Garcia notes resignations from department heads from “employee training to fleet maintenance to fisheries management.”
In short, the former Reedy Creek is no longer as well-run as it was a year ago at this time. It couldn’t possibly be with all that lost institutional knowledge.
Spilling the Tea
The investigative journalist cites a former thirty-year veteran of Reedy Creek, who claims that the new CFTOD board members “show a severe lack of trust for employees.”
Other former workers describe the board’s takeover as “demoralizing” and “very negative.”


Central Florida Tourism oversight district
The bluntest assessment comes from a former department director, who describes the CFTOD as “unqualified and incompetent.”
One ex-Reedy Creek worker doesn’t hold back. Here are their comments:
“The legacy of this special district is being destroyed by those who have been placed in power here.
“(The CFTOD) could care less about the work that needs to be done for the taxpayers. They claim transparency and bridge building, I see non-transparency and bridge burning.”


Photo: Disneyclipart.com
None of this is surprising to anyone keeping up with the chaos of the CFTOD, which by rule cannot include anyone with recent theme park work experience.
As Garcia notes, the CFTOD has listed several jobs on LinkedIn. Also, several political allies of DeSantis have accepted jobs with the CFTOD.


Photo: Jim Carchidi/Orlando Business Journal
This group includes CFTOD director Glen Gilzean, who somehow acted unethically while working as the head of Florida’s Ethics Commission.
Meanwhile, the former Reedy Creek is losing valued workers like Eulabel Vargas Maldonado, who describes the current CFTOD mess thusly:


Central Florida Tourism Oversight District
“This was the best place I’d ever worked,” she said. But “things were getting worse as the months passed by.”
The CFTOD Also Struggles with Disney Lawsuit


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This brings us to the other part of the conversation. Disney lawyers have expressed aggravation with the CFTOD’s legal team.
Ultimately, the two parties will settle the Florida Feud in court. Of course, the CFTOD doesn’t like being sued and is acting like a petulant child.


Photo:impulsecreative.com
According to innumerable sources including the Orlando Sentinel, the CFTOD is “dragging its feet in providing requested documents to Disney in a lawsuit.”
Of course, given the above, it’s entirely possible that the CFTOD isn’t being petty as much as they lack the competent people who can provide the info.


Photo: Miriam-Webster
The CFTOD has filed a motion to dismiss Disney’s lawsuit. Disney cannot defend itself as effectively without these documents.
According to the filing, the CFTOD has:
“failed to produce a single document for nearly two months following Disney’s requests, broke commitments to agreed-upon deadlines, and remains in possession of discovery that Disney needs to develop its summary judgment opposition.”
So, whether we’re witnessing incompetence or malfeasance, the outcome is the same.


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For this reason, Disney’s legal time has requested an extension until such a time as the CFTOD provides the necessary paperwork.
Disney has also issued a subpoena for former Reedy Creek leader John Classe, who left the CFTOD in July.


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There are kindergarten teachers who deal with less ridiculousness than anyone forced to deal with the CFTOD is facing right now.
Now, here’s the scary thought. It’ll only get worse if Disney somehow loses this case.


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Feature Photo: CFTOD