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

[GoofGoof]

That’s what it sounds like they’re trying to do. If that’s the case I have no idea how it’s legal.

When it comes to special district representation, earlier you mentioned there were a few special districts that were controlled by the state but that the state funded the district in one way or another. How was this arranged? Did the landowner have to agree to this arrangement? Do they have voluntary dissolution power?

What power does Florida have to determine how a special district is represented?

I don’t believe it is legal right now under the current FL state constitution. That’s why the talk of amending the constitution to make that legal. .

 

[LAKid53]

I don’t believe it is legal right now under the current FL state constitution. That’s why the talk of amending the constitution to make that legal. .

Which MUST be put before Florida voters on the general election ballot in November 2024. And passed by 60% of those voting.

Meanwhile, RCID goes by by in June.

 

[GoofGoof]

That’s what it sounds like they’re trying to do. If that’s the case I have no idea how it’s legal.

When it comes to special district representation, earlier you mentioned there were a few special districts that were controlled by the state but that the state funded the district in one way or another. How was this arranged? Did the landowner have to agree to this arrangement? Do they have voluntary dissolution power?

What power does Florida have to determine how a special district is represented?

FYI. Here’s a quote back to the original discussion around districts:

From this link I filtered on districts with the governor appointing the board and then looked at special districts with a revenue source of ad valorem tax. The list is primarily either community hospitals or water and sewer authorities. Most but not all of these have further links to the district sites and some have a link to the piece of legislature that created the district and/or the district rules. For all of the ones I could find that had specific rules listed, all that had government appointed boards had clauses that said the board had to be selected from members of the district. I could not find a single example of a special district with taxing authority that allowed the Governor to appoint board members from outside the district. It is possible that some that don’t list their rules are setup that way, but I couldn’t find any.

http://specialdistrictreports.floridajobs.org/webreports/criteria.aspx

Here’s one example:

From the act that enabled the Halifax Hospital Medical Center:

(1) The governing body of the district shall be a Board of Commissioners which shall consist of seven members, each of whom shall be residents of the district and appointed by the possible

 

[GoofGoof]

Which MUST be put before Florida voters on the general election ballot in November 2024. And passed by 60% of those voting.

Meanwhile, RCID goes by by in June.

I think there’s a high likelihood this is not resolved by June and gets extended. Remember too that FL has term limits so many of the Politicians could just delay and run the clock out and let this be someone else’s mess to clean up. We know the Gov has other ambitions on his mind so he will likely be moving on from this before his 4 year term is up.

 

[LAKid53]

I think there’s a high likelihood this is not resolved by June and gets extended. Remember too that FL has term limits so many of the Politicians could just delay and run the clock out and let this be someone else’s mess to clean up. We know the Gov has other ambitions on his mind so he will likely be moving on from this before his 4 year term is up.

Except that term limits don't prevent a member of the FL House then running for the FL Senate once term limited in the House...or vice versa. Or going away for 2 years, then returning and starting all over again.

 

[Baloo62]

Yes, the market is free to determine their fate, the state is not.

And the handwriting of that determination, along with a myriad of other poor management choices concerning parks and brand, is clearly on the walls. Reedy Creek is the least of Mickey's problems going into 2023.

 

[lazyboy97o]

And the handwriting of that determination, along with a myriad of other poor management choices concerning parks and brand, is clearly on the walls. Reedy Creek is the least of Mickey's problems going into 2023.

This is completely irrelevant. Walt Disney World can go completely bust and the Reedy Creek Improvement District would still exist.

 

[Tonto]

Florida will be under water in 2-3 decades, so Disney needs to cut its losses now and move out of state.

 

[MisterPenguin]

And the free market will determine the wisdom of their decision to do so.

The governor and the legislature are not the free market. The guests at WDW are the free market, and they've been packing them in at the parks.

That Disney has the *right* to be involved in lobbying publicly was decided by the supreme court:

Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission, 558 U.S. 310 (2010), was a landmark decision of the Supreme Court of the United States regarding campaign finance laws and free speech under the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. It was argued in 2009 and decided in 2010. The court held 5-4 that the free speech clause of the First Amendment prohibits the government from restricting independent expenditures for political campaigns by corporations, including nonprofit corporations, labor unions, and other associations.​

Citizens United v. FEC - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

This means that if its found that the FL government was interfering with Disney's free speech with regard to politicking and campaigning and lobbying, then that will be found to be in violation of the U.S. Constitution. Disney can speak against and *spend against* any legislation it chooses as a Constitutional right of Free [from government interference] Speech.

You can thank Right-leaning Justices and politics for enshrining what Disney did as Constitutionally protected free speech. It wouldn't surprise me to see this in Federal Courts on these grounds.

 

[Baloo62]

The government of the State of Florida isn't the free market.

I never implied it was. I'm saying the people who buy their movie tickets, merchandise, streaming service, vacation packages and various other sources of revenue are the free market. Disney has every right as a company to renounce or support anyone they choose. And the consumers have the same rights where Disney is concerned. 2023 will not be kind to the mouse.

 

[LAKid53]

I never implied it was. I'm saying the people who buy their movie tickets, merchandise, streaming service, vacation packages and various other sources of revenue are the free market. Disney has every right as a company to renounce or support anyone they choose. And the consumers have the same rights where Disney is concerned. 2023 will not be kind to the mouse.

Have you not seen reports? The parks have been crowded.

 

[Stripes]

Disney Spat Leaves DeSantis Few Options for Reedy Creek District

Disney’s Reedy Creek district—or something like it—will almost certainly be in place for the foreseeable future in Florida, either by court intervention or legislation. The question now is how much oversight the state will enjoy over this uniquely powerful and corporate-controlled district, says...

news.bloombergtax.com

“If Florida attempts to place Reedy Creek under state control, Disney will have a much stronger court case than if the state simply dissolved the district. Depending on who you ask, Disney already had a claim that dissolving the district was unconstitutional retaliation for protected speech in violation of the First Amendment. However, that claim was not entirely clear, as it would be unusual for a court to step in to say a state cannot dissolve one of its own subdivisions based on an alleged improper motive.

Disney’s right to elect its representatives is much stronger than its right to have Reedy Creek exist at all. Disney, as property owner, was granted the statutory right to elect the district’s board of supervisors. If Florida tried to replace it with state political appointees, the situation would go from the state managing its own subdivisions to the state taking away a landowner’s right to vote for its local representatives—an action courts are much more accustomed to stepping in to prevent. Florida cannot avoid this control issue by simply creating a new district with a different governing body, as the state Constitution would require Disney to approve any special district with taxing powers like Reedy Creek.”

 

[Baloo62]

Have you not seen reports? The parks have been crowded.

If the Disney company only depended on robust theme park revenue to stay afloat, I would agree with you.

 

[mikejs78]

If the Disney company only depended on robust theme park revenue to stay afloat, I would agree with you.

You're right, no one is going to see Disney's movies anymore.

Disney Rules The Box Office Around The World In 2022 With $4.9 Billion

box office disney 2022 global U.S.

deadline.com

 

[LAKid53]

If the Disney company only depended on robust theme park revenue to stay afloat, I would agree with you.

The parks have always provided a significant portion of the company's revenues.

 

[peter11435]

If the Disney company only depended on robust theme park revenue to stay afloat, I would agree with you.

Where do you think the company is failing? There are some areas they are struggling but politics has nothing to do with it.

There’s certainly a large demographic that disagrees with Disneys political stance but it largely does not affect their spending habits. Heck even the politician that sponsored the bill to dissolve reedy creek has went on two Disney Cruises since passing the legislation.

 

[Baloo62]

The parks have always provided a significant portion of the company's revenues.

Then the Walt Disney Company should be just fine this time next year. No worries!

 

[LAKid53]

Then the Walt Disney Company should be just fine this time next year. No worries!

TWDC isn't going to cease to exist.

 

[peter11435]

Then the Walt Disney Company should be just fine this time next year. No worries!

They will be

 

[Sirwalterraleigh]

They can certainly try, but the only consensus I gathered from that was that it is very difficult to prove intent.

Here’s what’s not difficult:

Trying to get a 6-3 court to rule that a 60 year agreement that has enriched millions of men at this point and has less public regulation that almost anywhere is now going to be “More Merican” with transient politicians having a say on the fly…as opposed to “private enterprise”

Good luck with THAT