News Reedy Creek Improvement District and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District

[MisterPenguin]

Fun line...

3028 hereafter enacted to the contrary notwithstanding, the
3029 jurisdiction and powers of the board of supervisors with respect
3030 to the matters provided for in this section shall be exclusive
3031 of any and all codes, ordinances, requirements, plans, or other
3032 regulations of the respective Boards of County Commissioners of
3033 Orange and Osceola Counties or of any other agency or authority
3034 of Orange County or Osceola County with respect to comprehensive
3035 plans; zoning; building and construction; planning with respect
3036 to the subdividing, uses, development, and redevelopment of
3037 land; regulation of building safety; regulation of escalators,
3038 elevators, and other lifting or transportation devices;
3039 regulation of amusement and recreation parks and facilities;

You need to include what section these quotes are from. This section references:

3021 Section 23. Planning; building codes; safety regulations;
3022 platting and subdivisions; zoning.—
3023 (1) EXEMPTION FROM COUNTY ZONING AND REGULATION;
3024 LIMITATION OF MUNICIPAL ORDINANCES AND REGULATIONS.

This section is about building codes and safety regulation and general zoning. Sure, the governor's guys could create crazy codes for the parks ("Magic Kingdom, for the sake of fire safety shall cap its attendance to just 5,000 guests per day"). But this bill provides means of challenging any decision and allowing conflicts to go to court.

We'll see if, in the end, the governor can name people to the board, what sort of mischief they intend to do.

Otherwise, this all reads as boilerplate special district language (as far as I have skimmed). The one big difference is the appointment of the board directly by the governor with senate approval.

 

[Surferboy567]

Florida elected a king and by right he's claiming corporate prima nocta.

To many down there, magic is in line with the occult, so it would be perfectly in line for this new board to have all references to magic removed.

It’s crazy that the board could theoretically do that

 

[ctrlaltdel]

Honestly (especially after Iger re-took over), shocked that DeSantis didn't have someone negotiate some things out of the original RCID legislation to "own" Disney but fundamentally keeping everything the same (which honestly benefits all parties). Instead he's still going for a full powergrab. Seems silly, but we all know he's hoping to not even be in Florida by the time this is actually resolved.

 

[Ayla]

Pretty sure this part is unconstitutional under the FL constitution.

It's all unconstitutional...and a wanna-be dictator's playbook.

 

[Gringrinngghost]

The most obvious issue is the state taking away landowner's voting power for the district while keeping said district in place. This is extremely likely headed to court (assuming it will be settled by the federal courts at some point). This is way thornier and legally dubious than the state just dissolving the district.

Florida does know a thing or two sadly about Jim Crow. Its just modernized here.

 

[Ayla]

Politically at least, they don't have much to gain from announcing a cancellation of Lake Nona.

Those who support this move will just hail it as another victory in the fight to drive wokeness out of the state and it helps that camp to imply some kind of hostility on Disney's part toward Florida. Even if they're rethinking it, they'd be best to keep quiet and (slowly) proceed for now.

It would also deprive FL of hundreds of millions of dollars.

 

[Gringrinngghost]

shocked that DeSantis didn't have someone negotiate some things

That would show a sign of weakness on his behalf when He is trying to court trumps supporters. He ran on a trump agenda to be honest.

 

[MisterPenguin]

Politically at least, they don't have much to gain from announcing a cancellation of Lake Nona.

Indeed. Cancelling could backfire in making seem that Disney is threatening the governor or the state.

Best to go ahead and build it.

Slowly.

 

[Surferboy567]

It would also deprive FL of hundreds of millions of dollars.

At this point, we are way past that. They are already attacking their possibly biggest source of income (if they aren’t their biggest source of income). They bite the hand that feeds.

 

[mightynine]

Indeed. Cancelling could backfire in making seem that Disney is threatening the governor or the state.

Best to go ahead and build it.

Slowly.

They're going to make some poor Imagineer work from a tractor-trailer on the site for a year, aren't they?

"Tom, you've always wanted to work close to water, right?"

 

[lazyboy97o]

Honestly (especially after Iger re-took over), shocked that DeSantis didn't have someone negotiate some things out of the original RCID legislation to "own" Disney but fundamentally keeping everything the same (which honestly benefits all parties). Instead he's still going for a full powergrab. Seems silly, but we all know he's hoping to not even be in Florida by the time this is actually resolved.

Those alleged plans were not being reported as a win.

 

[sedati]

They touted the drop in stock value as a victory so if it comes down to Disney suing, could the 50% drop be seen a reasonable damages (amounts other things)?

 

[mikejs78]

You need to include what section these quotes are from. This section references:

3021 Section 23. Planning; building codes; safety regulations;
3022 platting and subdivisions; zoning.—
3023 (1) EXEMPTION FROM COUNTY ZONING AND REGULATION;
3024 LIMITATION OF MUNICIPAL ORDINANCES AND REGULATIONS.

This section is about building codes and safety regulation and general zoning. Sure, the governor's guys could create crazy codes for the parks ("Magic Kingdom, for the sake of fire safety shall cap its attendance to just 5,000 guests per day"). But this bill provides means of challenging any decision and allowing conflicts to go to court.

We'll see if, in the end, the governor can name people to the board, what sort of mischief they intend to do.

Otherwise, this all reads as boilerplate special district language (as far as I have skimmed). The one big difference is the appointment of the board directly by the governor with senate approval.

I don't think that's the case. The section on taxes and fees in particular seems to basically allow the district to raise money however it wants with very few limits - without consent of the voters.

There's even a 10 mil "ad valorem maintenance fee".

And also a ton about the district superceding municipalities in every way - not standard boilerplate.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don’t think the district has that type of power over private land use, they are in charge of permits, roads, sewer, etc just like a normal municipality, just like my city can deny me a permit to build a new shed but they dont have the power to tell me to tear down my permitted house.

The district has the power over “private land” because the districts and all the land are owned by the same P.O. Box…

It’s in burbank, California…

That’s exactly why the Disney brothers insisted on it before they bought the land/made the announcements. It was “politely required” by Roy…never “optional”

Florida was more sleepy then than they are now…
…so a large company with amazing clout decided to build them a region.
And they damn well did.

This is such 21st century “nonsense”…it’s all bluster and no pragmatism.

Ready player one feels more “grounded” than this.

 

[rezzyk]

Otherwise, this all reads as boilerplate special district language (as far as I have skimmed). The one big difference is the appointment of the board directly by the governor with senate approval.

So actually that's my question - do other districts have boards that are appointed by the governor? Like, this special session is also reauthorizing the Eastpoint Water and Sewer District - what is their board situation? And I guess it's too soon to know how the Shingle Creek Transit Utility Community Development District (if that's even the same type of thing) for Brightline/I-Drive will be set up.

I would think that if RDIC is being singled out with rules/requirements that other districts are not, that's an easy win in court for Disney.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

And people want this dude to be POTUS?

Not nearly as many as he thinks

…just bring it

 

[Sir_Cliff]

It would also deprive FL of hundreds of millions of dollars.

They don't care. That money is all theoretical at this point and the people supporting this kind of politics prefer the win over the money.

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

I don't think that's the case. The section on taxes and fees in particular seems to basically allow the district to raise money however it wants with very few limits - without consent of the voters.

There's even a 10 mil "ad valorem maintenance fee".

And also a ton about the district superceding municipalities in every way - not standard boilerplate.

Then it’s up to the Board…everything…

You see the problem?

Roy is rolling right now

 

[flynnibus]

3395 Section 24. Ad valorem taxes.—The board of supervisors
3396 shall have the power to levy and assess an ad valorem tax on all
3397 the taxable real and tangible personal property in the district
3398 to pay the principal of and interest on any general obligation
3399 bonds of the district,
[...]
3405 district. The total amount of such ad valorem taxes levied in
3406 any year shall not be in excess of 30 mills on the dollar per
3407 annum on the assessed value of the taxable property within the
3408 district. The ad valorem tax provided for herein shall be in
3409 addition to county and municipal ad valorem taxes provided for
3410 by law.
[...]
3411 Section 25. Maintenance taxes.—In addition to the ad
3412 valorem taxes authorized by section 24, the board of supervisors
3413 is authorized to levy and assess a maintenance tax as provided
3414 for in s. 298.54, Florida Statutes, and amendments thereto, in
3415 an amount not to exceed the maximum rate therein provided, and
3416 in addition thereto, a special ad valorem maintenance tax on all
3417 of the taxable real and tangible personal property in the
3418 district, at a rate not exceeding 10 mills on the dollar per
3419 annum, for the purpose of defraying any of the costs and
3420 expenses of the district, including, but not limited to,
3421 maintenance, repair, and operation of the projects of the
3422 district, costs incurred in connection with the financing of
3423 district projects, and costs of administration.

Sounds like they can add a 'maintenance' tax on everything to help pay the bills too...

 

[ctrlaltdel]

I fully admit I'm not a fan of the guy's politics, but also surprised at just how cutting off the nose to spite your face this whole thing is. Especially now that we are about 1000 news cycles from the inciting incident. Really speaks to a profound lack of good judgement from DeSantis, who could have had his pound of flesh for his base while winking to Disney and keeping the good thing the state has going from the huge amounts of tax revenue they receive.

The funniest part of all this is is that RCID exists just so Disney can pay extra taxes for infra improvements/basic gov services/smooth out zoning issues without having to be subsidized (and also be bothered) by other taxpayers. Seems like a conservatives dream scenario honestly.