HOURS.
HOURS. >>
HOURS. >> IS DOUBLE THAT TONIGHT.
>> A DECISION THAT CREATED THE
CENTRAL FLORIDA WE KNOW TODAY
IS NOW UNDER ATTACK. GOOD
EVENING. I'M MARTHA SADOWSKI
AND I'M GREG WARMOTH. GOVERNOR
DESANTIS IS GOING AFTER DISNEY
SELF-GOVERNING ABILITIES IN
ORANGE AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES.
HE'S USING THIS WEEK SPECIAL
LEGISLATIVE SESSION ON
REDISTRICTING. THE NOW CALL
FOR AN INTO THE REEDY CREEK
IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT THAT
DISNEY EXECUTIVES CONTROL.
>> BUT THEY ALSO WILL BE
CONSIDERING TERMINATION OF ALL
SPECIAL DISTRICTS THAT WERE
ENACTED IN FLORIDA PRIOR TO
1968. AND THAT CLUES. THE
REEDY CREEK IMPROVEMENT
DISTRICT.
DISTRICT.
DISTRICT. >> SO LET'S START TONIGHT AT
11 WITH LET REEDY CREEK IS. IT
IS AN AREA IN ORANGE AND
OSCEOLA COUNTIES CARVED OUT BY
STATE LAW 50 YEARS AGO AND
RUNS JUST LIKE ANY CITY OR
TOWN. IT HAS THE POLICE
DEPARTMENT FIRE DEPARTMENT,
SEWER SERVICE AND
COMMISSIONERS, BUT IT'S ALL
DISNEY PROPERTY AND DISNEY
CONTROLS EVERYTHING ABOUT IT.
ALL DECISIONS, THE DISTRICT.
LET'S DISNEY FAST TRACK THOSE
DECISIONS AND PROJECTS ON
THEIR OWN LAND AND CREATE THE
ATMOSPHERE. WE ALL NOW
ASSOCIATE WITH DISNEY WORLD
REPUBLICAN STATE SENATOR RANDY
FIND A BREVARD COUNTY FILING
THE BILL THAT PRETTY CREEK.
>> EMERGE THE DISTRICT INTO
THE REST OF THE 2 COUNTIES. IN
A TWEET TODAY, HE SAID DISNEY
IS A GUEST IN FLORIDA TODAY.
WE REMIND THEM GOVERNOR
DESANTIS JUST EXPANDED THE
SPECIAL SESSION SO I COULD
FILE HB 3 C WHICH ELIMINATES
REEDY CREEK IMPROVEMENT
DISTRICT. A 50 YEAR-OLD
SPECIAL STATUTE THAT MAKES
DISNEY EXEMPT FOR LAWS FACE BY
REGULAR FLORIDIANS. ALL RIGHT.
WANT TO GO THAT. NICK PATON
TONE US RIGHT NOW. HE IS LIVE
OUTSIDE OF DISNEY WORLD
TONIGHT TO SHOW US HOW THIS
WOULD IMPACT THE COMPANY, ITS
EMPLOYEES AND TAXPAYERS IN
THOSE COUNTIES.
THOSE COUNTIES. >> IT'S PRETTY BIG. GOES AWAY.
LOCAL AND STATE LAWMAKERS
WOULD HAVE UNTIL NEXT JUNE TO
FIGURE OUT HOW TO MERGE THE
OPERATIONS HERE WITH THE ONES
IN ORLANDO AND KISSIMMEE. IT'S
A BIG UNDERTAKING. SOME PEOPLE
SAY TOO BIG AND IT'S
UNPRECEDENTED.
UNPRECEDENTED. >> THIS IS SUPPOSED TO BE A
YEAR OF CELEBRATION FOR DISNEY
WORLD. A LOOK BACK AT THE HALF
CENTURY OF MAGIC TO BUILD
CENTRAL FLORIDA 6 MONTHS INTO
IT ISN'T THE THEME PARKS
TAKING CENTER STAGE, BUT THE
INFRASTRUCTURE BEHIND OR MAYBE
IT MADE SENSE AT THE TIME WHEN
WHEN THAT WAS THE ONE THAT
WALTER BUT WE'RE IN A
DIFFERENT PLACE, A PROPOSAL
FROM STATE REPUBLICANS ANGRY
ABOUT THE COMPANY'S OPPOSITION
TO THE PARENTAL RIGHTS IN
EDUCATION. BILL CRITICS DUBBED
THE DON'T SAY BILL WOULD
CANCEL DISNEY'S SELF-GOVERNING
ABILITIES. INTRODUCING THE
SAME KIND OF COUNTY OVERSIGHT
ENJOYED BY MOST OTHER
COMPANIES AND FURY FROM DISNEY
SUPPORTERS WHO SAY FLORIDA IS
GOING TO WAR WITH ITS LARGEST
EMPLOYER OVER FREE SPEECH.
THIS IS AN EMBARRASSING MOMENT
FOR US AS A LEGISLATIVE BODY.
I DON'T THINK ANYONE WOULD
HAVE THAT ON THEIR BINGO CARD.
IF THIS CHANGE PASSES, EXPERTS
SAY PART OF DISNEY WORLD'S
OPERATIONS WOULD MERGE WITH
ORANGE AND OSCEOLA COUNTIES BY
JUNE. FIRST 2023 SUCH AS THE
FIRE DEPARTMENT PUBLIC WORKS
AND THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT,
DISNEY WOULD HAVE TO GET
OUTSIDE PERMISSION TO MAKE
CHANGES OR UPGRADES TO ITS
FACILITIES AND IT WOULD RELY
ON STATE AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES
TO PAVE MANY OF ITS ROADS.
SPECIAL DISTRICTS, LOBBYIST
DAVID RAMBUS, AS THESE CHANGES
WOULD NOT BE AS AWFUL AS SOME
PEOPLE ARE MAKING THEM OUT TO
BE. BUT DISNEY WORLD
OPERATIONS WOULD BE TIED UP IN
MORE RED TAPE WHEN THEY WANT A
BIG
BIG
BIG >>
BIG >> IT'S A LOT SIMPLER FOR THEM
TO PERMIT THEMSELVES. RAMBUS
AS TAXPAYERS WOULD ALSO SEE
CHANGES ORANGE AND OSCEOLA
COUNTIES WOULD COLLECT
DISNEY'S TAX REVENUE INSTEAD
OF THE COMPANY ITSELF, WHICH
COULD BE A BOOST.
>> WORKERS WILL MERGE INTO THE
COUNTY'S PAYROLL, BUT THE
COUNTIES WILL ASSUME ALL OF
THE EXPENSES AS WELL.
DOCUMENTS SHOWING THE REEDY
CREEK DISTRICT OFTEN OPERATES
AT A LOSS IN THE DISTRICT HAS
A LOT OF DEBT. I THINK WE
AGREE. IT'S SOMEWHERE BETWEEN
970 MILLION AND
>> ONE POINT O 2 BILLION.
THERE WILL ALSO BE CONFLICTS
IN 2019. TAXPAYERS WERE ON THE
HOOK FOR IMPROVEMENTS TO
KIRKMAN ROAD THAT WOULD
BENEFIT UNIVERSAL'S UPCOMING
EPIC UNIVERSE PARK. EVEN
THOUGH MANY CALL THE PROJECT A
125 MILLION DOLLARS CAN GO A
LOT FURTHER.
LOT FURTHER. >> GRANDMA SAYS IT'S NOT 1967
ANYMORE. AND WHILE IT WOULD BE
AN ANNOYANCE ALL AROUND DISNEY
AND TAXPAYERS WILL PROBABLY BE
JUST FINE. I THINK THOSE
NEGOTIATIONS WILL BEGIN OCCUR.
>> WATCH THIS GETS DONE IN THE
SPECIAL SESSION.
SPECIAL SESSION. >> COURSE, WE WILL SEE NEXT.
IT IS COMPLETELY POSSIBLE THAT
THE STATE GOES THROUGH WITH
THIS AND THEN WE STILL KEEP
THE STATUS QUO RIGHT? YEAH.
THERE'S A COUPLE DIFFERENT
OPTIONS ON THE TABLE RIGHT
NOW. THEY COULD VOTE FOR THIS
THIS WEEKEND. THEN REVERSED
COURSE IN JANUARY AFTER
ELECTION SEASON IS OVER. SO
THAT WOULD MAINTAIN REEDY
CREEK.
CREEK.
CREEK. >>
CREEK. >> THEY COULD GO THROUGH WITH
THIS IN AN ORANGE OSCEOLA
COUNTIES. INSTEAD GIVE DISNEY
IS SPECIAL PROTECTIONS JUST AT
THE LOCAL A 3RD OPTION IS THAT
DISNEY SUES AND WINS IN COURT.
RAMAH SAYS IT'S A LIKELY
POSSIBILITY BECAUSE STATE LAW
REQUIRES THAT A DISTRICT
DISSOLVED IN THE SAME WAY IT
WAS CREATED AND JUST TO KEEP
HISTORY SHORT, DISNEY'S REEDY
CREEK DISTRICT WAS NOT CREATED
DURING A SPECIAL SESSION LIVE
IN ORANGE COUNTY. COUPLE WFTV
TONIGHT. AND SOME ARE SAYING
THIS ALL STARTED BECAUSE OF
DISNEY'S LACK OF SUPPORT.
>> FOR AGAIN, RON DESANTIS IS
MEASURES REGARDING WHAT
CRITICS CALLED THE DON'T SAY
BILL. AND HERE'S A COMMENT
MADE TONIGHT BY ORANGE COUNTY
MAYOR JERRY DEMINGS. TONIGHT,
WE'VE GOT THIS COMMENT FROM
HIM AND IT SAYS, QUOTE, ORANGE
COUNTY GOVERNMENT IS
MONITORING THE SPECIAL SESSION
IN TALLAHASSEE, PARTICULARLY
WHEN IT COMES TO UNFUNDED
COSTS, SHIFTS TO LOCAL
GOVERNMENTS. WE WILL