Recently released government records have proven that the members of the former board of supervisors for the Reedy Creek Improvement District broke no criminal laws before Florida Governor Ron DeSantis appointed the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District to replace it.
Reedy Creek Improvement District
As reported in an article by News 6, an external investigation found a “blurring of the lines” between The Walt Disney Company and the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID). However, Florida’s Chief Inspector General quietly ended its review of the district’s former board earlier this year without issuing any recommendations, according to a memo obtained by News 6 through a public records request.
In early 2023, RCID was renamed the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) and Governor Ron DeSantis appointed a new board. CFTOD nullified a development agreement between Disney and RCID, claiming proper notice wasn’t given to property owners in the District regarding the agreement. Governor DeSantis asked the state’s Office of Chief Inspector General (OCIG) to review the former RCID board’s actions.
In an open letter to Chief Inspector General Melinda Miguel, DeSantis asked her to consult with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement to “launch a thorough review and investigation into the actions of the RCID Board of Supervisors” to determine if the board broke any criminal or civil laws.
The OCIG obtained a November 2023 audit commissioned by the new CFTOD board, as part of its review, that examined past practices of RCID. They found that Disney financially benefitted from RCID purchasing Walt Disney World Annual Passes for employees. The CFTOD board canceled this practice.
The OCIG “could not determine that the RCID BOS properly noticed the RCID landowners about meetings as required” by Florida law.
In March 2024, Disney and the CFTOD reached a settlement in their lawsuits against each other. The former RCID development agreement was officially void as part of the settlement.
Following the settlement, the chief inspector general’s office declared that “no further investigative activity is warranted.”
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