Ever since Florida Governor Ron DeSantis changed the Reedy Creek Improvement District to the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD), we’ve been following along with the updates.
Reedy Creek Improvement District
Ever since the board members were named for CFTOD, we’ve seen multiple changes for the district that governs Disney World. But one of the most recently publicized decisions involved a member of the Florida Ethics Commission, who was awarded a large contract by the board. In the aftermath of that decision, CFTOD may be facing some problems.
For some background, one of the CFTOD board members, Glen Gilzean, used to work for the Florida Ethics Commission. Gilzean resigned from the position after being advised that public employees were not permitted to serve on the government watchdog panel.
©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board Livestream
According to Fox 30, though, a current Florida Ethics Commission member who worked with Gilzean just several months ago, Freddy Figgers, had been hired to develop a new system to improve wireless 911 calls. Gilzean said, “The district is investing a million dollars for a new communication network and completely separating from the Walt Disney World system.” The contract was accepted without allowing bids from other companies to provide the service.
Figgers’s media team said that the agreed-upon contract would be worth significantly less than a million dollars, but did not give an actual number.
©Orlando Sentinel | Glen Gilzean, left, and board member Ron Peri, right
However, this contract stirred up controversy with the media, and now the Orlando Sentinel reports that the contract was canceled. But before the cancelation was announced on Monday, the district suffered significant losses. Seeking Rents reports that over the weekend, more than 30 district employees resigned.
Reedy Creek
That group of 30 people includes nearly half of the senior leadership team. The combined group represented more than 350 years of experience, and we now know that about a tenth of the district’s workforce has resigned in the past nine months. In exit surveys available through public records, departing employees called leadership “unqualified and incompetent,” and said that “With the departure of more than 3 dozen employees, the district is no longer functional.”
©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board
We’ll keep an eye out to see how this mass exodus affects the district going forward. Stay tuned to DFB.
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And the DeSantis created clown car continues. Is anyone surprised by sweetheart contracts and rampant incompetence?
No surprise. What do you expect from a bunch of little Ronnie’s friends who know nothing about running and operating a special district? Even though it is a private district, the special districts are not meant to be run and operated like a private company, but rather like a government agency with policies and procedures.
What a perfect example of “if it ain’t broke, …..” DeSatan has injured Florida seriously but we WILL recover as soon as his defeat in his prez bid is assured and he finishes out his lame duck term as governor.
Perhaps, then, things will return normal to Reedy Creek.
Floridians who put DeSantis in to power are to blame. Your votes and actions have allowed this. The consequences of your actions now put the blame squarely on your shoulders.
I keep asking myself, “Was all this necessary?” Answer: NO. Shame on Chapek for starting it, shame on DeSantis for running with it, and shame on Iger for perpetuating it.
I am reminded of the $500 million federal COVID testing moneys He gave to a guy who have his highway construction contracts taken away. Buddies in high places.
This is what happens when you elect an egotistical, arrogant, and want to be tyrant. He is unqualified to be a Governor and definitely not qualified to be President.
LOL who is overseeing the oversight board. What a joke.
Get rid of DeSantis then we can spend time and money in other places then Walt Disney World.
Thanks, Matt. That would be me, among many others, guilty. Governor DeSantis won in a landslide. Overall, Florida is in much better shape now than when he was first elected, and DeSantis did a great job of leading through the Covid pandemic and dubious lockdown, for which many experts are now questioning the efficacy.
I stand by what I said previously on this topic: I keep asking myself, “Was all this necessary?” Answer: NO. Shame on Bob Chapek for starting it, shame on DeSantis for running with it, and shame on Bob Iger for perpetuating it. They all look bad.
At no time did Disney, nor now does Disney have the moral high ground in advocating for teaching 5 and 6 year olds about sexual orientation and gender preferences in public schools. It is not an age-appropriate topic, unless you advocate grooming. But this is all part of Iger’s and Disney’s Woke Culture War Agenda.