EYEWITNESS NEWS AT 6 COVERAGE YOU CAN COUNT ON.
>> TONIGHT AT 6 IF YOU LIVE IN
ORANGE COUNTY, YOU MAY BE
FACING NEW TAXES IF STATE
LEADERS ABOLISHED DISNEY'S
REEDY CREEK IMPROVEMENT
DISTRICT, WE NEED TO TAKE
ACTION. THIS BUILD. HE'S A
KNEE REACTION IN A POLITICAL
STUNT. WE HAVE LIVE TEAM
COVERAGE BREAKING DOWN. HOW
MUCH MORE YOU COULD HAVE TO
PAY AND THE IMPACT THE MOVE
WOULD HAVE ON REEDY CREEK
EMPLOYEES. THIS AFTERNOON, THE
FLORIDA SENATE VOTED IN FAVOR
OF DOING AWAY WITH THE REEDY
CREEK IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT.
THE STATE HOUSE IS EXPECTED TO
VOTE ON THE MEASURE TOMORROW.
>> GOOD EVENING. I'M GREG
WARMOTH AND I'M MARCUS
ACCOUNTS KEY RIGHT NOW THE
DISTRICT HAS ABOUT 1 BILLION
DOLLARS. 1 BILLION.
>> IN OUTSTANDING BONDS. THOSE
BONDS ARE BEING PAID BY
DISNEY. NOW, BUT COULD SOON
FALL INTO THE LAPS OF YOU. THE
TAXPAYER. WE HAVE LIVE TEAM
COVERAGE RIGHT NOW AT 6
CHANNEL 9. SHANNON BUTLER TALK
TO FIRE UNION OFFICIALS ABOUT
WHAT APPROVAL COULD MEAN FOR
REEDY CREEK FIRE FIGHTERS. BUT
WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH CHANNEL
NINE'S CHRISTOPHER HEATH, WHO
IS LIVE IN PEACE, ORANGE
COUNTY AND CHRIS RESIDENTS
THERE DON'T EVEN HAVE A
REPRESENTATIVE IN THE STATE
HOUSE TO ARGUE ON THEIR BEHALF
ON THIS ISSUE.
>> THAT'S ABSOLUTELY CORRECT.
BECAUSE REPRESENTATIVE RENE
PLASENCIA, THE REPUBLICAN
RESIGNED AT THE END OF THE
REGULAR SESSION. SO TOMORROW
WHEN THE HOUSE TAKES UP THE
ABOLISHMENT OF THE REEDY CREEK
IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT, THE
PEOPLE WHO LIVE OVER HERE IN
EAST ORANGE COUNTY, THEY DON'T
HAVE ANYONE IN THE FLORIDA
HOUSE TO ARGUE ON THEIR
BEHALF. AND THAT IS CRUCIAL
BECAUSE IF REEDY CREEK GOES
AWAY, THERE IS ABOUT A BILLION
DOLLARS IN BONDS YOU IN. GREG
MENTIONED THAT WILL FALL ON
ORANGE COUNTY. SO THE
TAXPAYERS OUT HERE NOT ONLY DO
THEY NOT HAVE A REPRESENTATIVE
IN TALLAHASSEE, THEY MAY BE
SETTLED WITH PAYING BACK THAT
1 BILLION DOLLARS IN BOND
DEBT.
DEBT.
DEBT. >>
DEBT. >> SOMEONE IS GOING TO PAY
RIGHT NOW. THE REEDY CREEK
IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT HAS ABOUT
A BILLION DOLLARS IN
OUTSTANDING BONDS. DISNEY PAYS
FOR THOSE BONDS. BUT IT REALLY
CREEK IS ELIMINATED AS THE
GOVERNOR INTENDS.
GOVERNOR INTENDS. >> WELL, THE PROCEDURES THAT
WE HAVE WILL TRAN FOR THAT
INDEBTEDNESS AND ASSETS TO TO
THE GENERAL PURPOSE, LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS.
GOVERNMENTS. >> IN OTHER WORDS, DISNEY'S
DEBT BECOMES ORANGE COUNTY'S
DEBT. BUT WAIT, IT GETS WORSE.
THOSE BONDS ARE
>> ISSUE TO CREDITORS ON THE
PROMISE THAT THE DISTRICT WILL
CONTINUE TO EXIST. JOE BISHOP
HENCHMEN IS THE VICE PRESIDENT
OF POLICY AT THE NATIONAL
TAXPAYERS UNION.
TAXPAYERS UNION. >> HE POINTS OUT MANY OF THE
BONDS MAYBE DO IMMEDIATELY IF
THE DISTRICT DISSOLVES A BILL
ORANGE COUNTY WOULD HAVE TO
COVER RIGHT AWAY OR
RENEGOTIATE. BUT EVEN THAT
IT'S PROBLEMATIC, THE INTEREST
RATE PROBABLY HIGHER NOW THAT
IT'S HIGHER INTEREST RATES ARE
HIGHER NOW GENERALLY THAN THEY
WERE WHEN THE FUNDS WERE
ISSUED.
ISSUED.
ISSUED. >> AND THAT PUTS THE COUNTY
TAXPAYERS ON THE HOOK FOR
PAYING THEM. NOT JUST A DISNEY
COMPLICATING MATTERS EVEN MORE
STATE LAW PROHIBITS TAXING ONE
AREA MORE THAN ANOTHER. SO
ORANGE COUNTY CAN ADD A NEW
TAX ON DISNEY.
>> TO COVER THE DEBT.
>> SO IN OTHER WORDS, WE
SHOULD KNOW WHAT'S IN THESE
BONDS BEFORE WE SETTLE ORANGE
COUNTY WITH THEM.
>> SOME OF ITS THAT.
>> AND IN CASE YOU'RE
WONDERING WHAT THIS WILL ALL
ADD UP TO, DEPENDING ON
EXACTLY HOW MUCH OF THESE
BONDS AND UP ON ORANGE COUNTY
TAXPAYERS, A FAMILY OF 4 IS
LOOKING AT AN EXTRA. 2200 TO
$2800 IN EXTRA DEBT THAT
THEY'LL HAVE TO ABSORB AS PART
OF REEDY CREEK GOING AWAY.
REPORTING LIVE IN EAST ORANGE
COUNTY, CHRISTOPHER, HE
CHANNEL 9 EYEWITNESS NEWS.
>> AND IT'S NOT JUST DISNEY, 3
CREEK. THAT WOULD BE
ELIMINATED BY THE STATE. 5
OTHER SPECIAL DISTRICTS, BUT
ALSO CEASE TO EXIST BECAUSE
THE STATE IS SPECIFICALLY
GOING AFTER DISTRICTS CREATED
BEFORE 1968. ALL OF THESE
DISTRICTS WOULD BE ELIMINATED
TOO. ONE LAWMAKER CALLED THEM
COLLATERAL DAMAGE. THEY
INCLUDE 2 SMALL WATER AND
SEWER DISTRICTS AS WELL AS THE
LAW LIBRARY IN MARION COUNTY,
LIKE DISNEY, ALL OF THEIR
FUNCTIONS AND DEBT WITH FALL
ON LOCAL COUNTIES AND
TAXPAYERS TO ABSORB.
>> AND WHILE LAWMAKERS DEBATE
ABOUT THE SPECIAL DISTRICTS,
THERE ARE HUNDREDS OF
EMPLOYEES THAT ARE ANXIOUS
WAITING TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS TO
THEIR JOBS, THEIR PENSIONS,
THEIR FUTURES, 300 PEOPLE WORK
AT THE REEDY CREEK FIRE
DEPARTMENT ALONE. IT HAS 4
FIRE STATIONS THAT COVER
DISNEY WORLD ALONG WITH THE
CITIES OF BAY LAKE IN LAKE
BUENA VISTA. AND THEY ARE
NERVOUS CHANNEL NINE'S.
SHANNON BUTLER CONTINUES OUR
LIVE TEAM COVERAGE WITH WHAT
THE DECISION TO DISBAND THE
DISTRICT COULD MEAN FOR THE
FIRST RESPONDERS AND STAFF AT
THAT DEPARTMENT ALONE.
>> YEAH, THEY CAN'T DECIDE
THIS IS A GOOD THING OR A BAD
THING. THAT'S BECAUSE THERE'S
JUST NO INFORMATION COMING TO
THEM. BUT THEY SAID IT'S CLEAR
THEY WILL BE PART OF THIS
CONVERSATION BECAUSE THEIR
LIVELIHOOD IS AT STAKE.
>> THE FIGHT BETWEEN DISNEY
AND DESANTIS CONTINUES THIS
WEEK AS LAWMAKERS MEET IN A
SPECIAL SESSION. BUT IN THE
MIX ARE HUNDREDS OF EMPLOYEES
WHO WORK IN THE REEDY CREEK
IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT. WHAT
HAPPENS WITH THEM? A BIG
QUESTION RIGHT NOW.
>> OF THE 5 INDEPENDENT
SPECIAL DISTRICTS THAT WOULD
BE AFFECTED BY THE LEGISLATION
IF IT PASSED. REEDY CREEK IS
THE ONLY ONE THAT EMPLOYS
MEMBERS OF THE FLORIDA
PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS
PROFESSIONAL FIREFIGHTERS ASSOCIATION. THIS LETTER SENT
OUT BY THE PRESIDENT TO THE
FIREFIGHTER SAYS THE
LEGISLATION WASN'T A TARGET.
FIREFIGHTERS BUT SAYS, QUOTE,
WE WILL USE ALL MEANS AT OUR
DISPOSAL TO ENSURE THAT THEY
DO NOT BECOME COLLATERAL
DAMAGE AS WELL.
>> CHANNEL 9 HAS REPORTED ON
THE UNION'S ISSUE WITH WHAT
THEY SAY IS A STAFFING
SHORTAGE. THE LATE 1980'S, THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT HAD 30
FIREFIGHTERS PER SHIFT. THAT
NUMBER GREW TO JUST 32,
DESPITE THE PARK'S TREMENDOUS
GROWTH BE ABSORBED BY THE
COUNTY COULD CHANGE THAT. BUT
THERE ARE MANY OPTIONS ON WHAT
COULD HAPPEN. DISNEY COULD USE
A PRIVATE COMPANY OR CIVILIAN
PARAMEDICS CREATE A SPECIAL
FIRE DISTRICT LIKE THE VILLAGE
IS DEAD, WHERE THE DEPARTMENT
COULD ACTUALLY BE DISSOLVED
INTO ORANGE COUNTY. AND THE
MAYOR HERE IS WATCHING
CAREFULLY TO SEE WHAT HAPPENS,
BUT SAYS HAVING THE DISTRICT
HAS ACTUALLY SAVED YOU MONEY.
>> THEY HAVE THE HOME SERVICE
AND THEY HAVE THEM BARELY
SELF-CONTAINED THAT WORKED TO
THE BENEFIT OF ALL ORANGE
COUNTY RESIDENTS BECAUSE THAT
HAS NOT BEEN A TAX TO ALL OF
OUR RESIDENTS.
OUR RESIDENTS. >> NOW, ONE BRIGHT SPOT FOR
THOSE REEDY CREEK FIRE
FIGHTERS. IS IT? THEY ARE PART
OF THE FLORIDA RETIREMENT
SYSTEM. SO IF THEY WERE
ABSORBED IN LIKE HERE AT
ORANGE COUNTY, THEIR PENSIONS
WOULD STILL BE INTACT. BUT
THINGS LIKE SENIORITY THAT
COULD BE