New board for district encompassing Disney World meets for first time

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. (FLV) – The newly appointed board of supervisors for the district encompassing Walt Disney World met for the first time Wednesday.

Gov. Ron DeSantis announced appointments to a new state board overseeing the district encompassing Walt Disney World on Feb 27. The board is called the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.

Although no major changes were made during the meeting, the board reportedly listened to members of the public who expressed their concerns.

The board may take actions in the future, including prohibiting COVID-19 restrictions at Disney World and eliminating two cities that were created when the Florida Legislature in 1967 approved the theme park resort’s self-governance, according to AP News.

The board includes Chair Martin Garcia, Bridget Ziegler, Brian Aungst, Jr., Mike Sasso and Ron Peri.

“The state of Florida is the new sheriff in town,” DeSantis previously said. “We’ve created a state control board that is going to be responsible for this area.”

DeSantis signed legislation to remake Disney’s Reedy Creek board in an effort to ensure that the company’s debts are not passed down to local taxpayers. The changes strip Disney of its control over the district, ultimately doing away with many of the company’s self-governing powers.

To help interpret the new legislation, the board will reportedly use the same law firm that advised DeSantis’ office in making changes to the district.

DeSantis previously asked the board to look at the compensation for the first responders and give them more compensation for doing a good job.

The next scheduled meeting is March 22 at 9:30 a.m.