Florida Gov. DeSantis signs bill to void Reedy Creek development agreement with Disney
Gov. Ron DeSantis has thrown the latest punch in his ongoing feud with Florida's largest employer, Walt Disney World, by signing a bill aimed at voiding the former Reedy Creek Improvement District's development deal with the theme park and media giant.
End of Disney’s ‘corporate kingdom?’ 2 Disney-controlled governments remain in power
As Gov. Ron DeSantis is poised to reinstate and modify the special district that provides some government services to the Walt Disney World resort, two separate Disney-controlled municipalities continue to operate using governmental powers the state granted them more than five decades ago.
Future of Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District remains uncertain
Less than 11 months before the Reedy Creek Improvement District is scheduled to be abolished, there are still no announced plans to replace any of the governmental services the special taxing district currently provides to the Walt Disney World resort property.
‘Ugly middle school breakup:’ Orlando columnist explains fight between Disney, DeSantis
The man who deemed the recent fight between Disney and Florida politicians “like a really ugly middle school ugly middle school break up” sat down to talk with Florida’s Fourth Estate hosts Ginger Gadsden and Matt Austin about the Reedy Creek Improvement District debacle.
DeSantis promises legislation to prevent Disney debt from falling to taxpayers
Gov. Ron DeSantis reiterated his promise that Florida's taxpayers will not take on Walt Disney World's debt when and if the Reedy Creek Improvement District dissolves in 2023, teasing that he may have some legislative measures in place to prevent that from happening.
Orlando lawmakers: Gov. DeSantis may replace Reedy Creek with state-run district
Democratic state lawmakers are set to hold a news conference Monday morning to address the new Florida law which will dissolve six special districts in the state, including the Reedy Creek Improvement District which allows Walt Disney World to self-govern.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis calls for special session to address property insurance crisis
Gov. Ron DeSantis has called a second special legislative session, this time with the goal to address Florida's property insurance crisis which has seen many homeowners lose their insurance or see their premiums skyrocket.
Credit rating agency places ‘rating watch negative’ on Reedy Creek bond debt after DeSantis signs law to dissolve districts
If dissolved, the Reedy Creek Improvement District's debt obligations, revenues and responsibilities would be transferred to Osceola and Orange counties and the small cities of Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake.
Orange County mayor worried Reedy Creek repeal could mean ‘cost shifts’ for taxpayers
Mayor Jerry Demings said leaders in Orange County are closely watching developments in Tallahassee after Republican lawmakers introduced legislation that would strip Walt Disney World of its special governing powers.
What is a special district in Florida? Here’s an explanation
Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Tuesday the state legislature would be taking up a bill during their special session that would look to dissolve six special districts in the state, including the Reedy Creek Improvement District which governs Walt Disney World.
Florida Gov. DeSantis targets Disney World’s Reedy Creek district in special session
Florida lawmakers currently debating congressional maps proposed by Gov. Ron DeSantis in a special session will now also consider getting rid of special districts enacted before 1968, which includes Disney’s Reedy Creek district, the governor announced Tuesday at a news conference in The Villages.
‘It would be a disaster:’ Florida lawmakers discuss repealing Disney’s Reedy Creek government
The rights of Reedy Creek Improvement District, Disney's own government, are now being discussed among some Florida lawmakers following controversy surrounding the company's response to Gov. DeSantis' "Don't Say Gay" bill.
Reedy Creek administrators: First responders did not contract COVID-19 on the job
A Reedy Creek representative said the timeline for Grants illness doesnt fall into the accepted CDC guideline of two to 17 days because he started showing symptoms 24 hours after contact with the paramedics. The Reedy Creek communications manager told News 6, We did pull all the EMS reports from June 23 (a week prior to the first person showing symptoms). Reedy Creek paramedics Steven Provost and Brian Astleford were on the June 29 call to Disney Springs and tested positive for the coronavirus four days later. Were on the front lines dealing with COVID everyday, Grant told News 6. They are a lot of employers in Florida simply saying you cant prove you contracted this disease on the job.
Reedy Creek first responders testing positive for COVID-19 denied workers comp
ORLANDO, Fla. First responders with the Reedy Creek Improvement District have launched a legal battle to collect workers compensation benefits after being tested and diagnosed with COVID-19. Michael Grant, a paramedic with Reedy Creek since 2018, tested positive with the virus on the job on July 3 and quarantined at home for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommended 14 days. I have a 3-year-old and a 7-year-old and obviously they were my biggest concern.Before working with Reedy Creek, Grant worked for the city of Palm Coast and the Seminole County Fire Department. Records confirm he was diagnosed with COVID-19 on July 3, one day after he was on his shift with Reedy Creek. Despite his contention that he was infected on the job, he was denied workers compensation benefits and because of a unique policy, was forced to use his own personal sick leave.
Omar Mateen, Pulse nightclub shooter, considered Disney World attack
Federal prosecutors now confirm that Mateen was also considering an attack at the resort’s Disney Springs entertainment district, which was formerly known as Downtown Disney. The government believes Mateen’s wife, Noor Salman, assisted her husband in carrying out the terror attack at Pulse nightclub. A News 6 investigation recently revealed an unprecedented surge in outside law enforcement presence at Walt Disney World. The Reedy Creek Improvement District has allocated $5.6 million to pay for off-duty deputies throughout the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. That new budget nearly quadruples the $1.5 million the Disney-controlled government allocated for off-duty deputies annually from 2011 through 2016.
Firefighters picket Disney Springs opening
DISNEY SPRINGS, Fla. – Firefighters and emergency service providers working for Reedy Creek Improvement District, protested a stalled contract negotiations Sunday by picketing at the Disney Springs reopening. "The new parking garage built for Disney Springs by the Reedy Creek government cost much more than treating their employees fairly," said Tim Stromsnes, president of the Reedy Creek Firefighters Association. Stromsnes heads the labor association representing the firefighters, paramedics, dispatchers, and fire inspectors who provide fire protection and emergency medical services for all Disney owned properties, including the parks and resorts. "If the Disney owned government does not want to work with us, they can impose the contract they want on us with no repercussions from actual voters." Disney World controls around 17,000 votes on its own, well over the 50 percent threshold to win any election.