“A Low Blow” – Reedy Creek Board Criticized for Removal of Disney Annual Pass Benefits

[Disney4me]

The Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD) held a board of supervisors meeting on August 23rd. During the meeting, members of the district met to express their comments and concerns regarding a long-held Reedy Creek District employee benefit that is set to be taken away under the new board.

Reedy Creek Improvement District

For context, Reedy Creek employees previously received free access to the Disney World parks as an added benefit for working in the district. The collective cost of these passes and peks was worth about $2.5 million, per the Central Florida Torusim Oversign District. In an effort to cut costs and create a 2024 budget for the district, the CFTOD met to discuss its reasoning for eliminating this benefit. Here’s what they had to say.

One of the main arguments hurled by the Board is that some perks Disney gave to previous Reedy Creek District employees are “unethical.” In a press release sent ahead of the board meeting, the CFTOD called these perks a “scheme” that “raises significant questions regarding self-dealing.” In fact, officials in the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District made a referral to the inspector general and asked them to look into certain perks that Disney provided for Reedy Creek District employees. This benefit was extended to Reedy Creek District firefighters and other Walt Disney World first responders. 

Reedy Creek Building

While the CFTOD claims that these perks are unethical, Richard Foglesong (a Rollins College professor emeritus) stated that “the arrangement appears to be more like an employee benefit rather than a taxpayer scam, similar to the way professors at a university may get free passes to athletic events or free tuition for a family member.”(Fortune)

©Spectrum News 13

The CFTOD’s press release further stated, “The former Disney-run RCID used taxpayer funds to provide season passes and amusement experiences to its employees and their family members, cover the cost of discounts on hotels, merchandise, food, and beverages, and give its own board members VIP Main Entrance passes. In 2022 alone, it cost taxpayers over $2.5 million.”

©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board

The CFTOD laid out its plans to stop these perks, stating, “Immediately upon discovering the scheme, the CFTOD set in motion plans to eliminate it.” Board Chairperson Martin Garcia stated that the board found three main reasons for eliminating the perk:

1. The policy favored one taxpayer 
2. The policy had the potential to endorse unlawful policy 
3. The policy was inequitable

©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board Livestream

Garcia further defended the change, stating that employees with larger families received a greater benefit relative to single employees using the Annual Passes — a difference of “three thousand dollars for a family versus one thousand dollars for a single person.” (Note that those costs are hypothetical) Garcia claimed that private companies cannot give gifts to government workers and hinted that the perk was both unethical and unlawful. 

©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board Livestream

To compensate employees in light of the change, the board proposed the idea of grossing up wages by $1,425 to be “fair.” Garcia noted that the $1,425 increase may change, explaining, “We are trying to equitably replace the policy we eliminated.” Importantly, Garcia added, “One group we haven’t formulated a policy for is retirees,” given that Reedy Creek employees who worked for the District for over 15 years received lifetime passes to Disney World. Under these changes, Garcia explained, “Some will make out better, some won’t do as well,” but “whatever that contract obligates us to do, I promise you we will do it.”

Reedy Creek Fire Department

In response to this news, several Reedy Creek District firefighters and other employees attended the meeting to voice their concerns with this change. One member of the Reedy Creek Fire Department explained that he and his coworkers take their jobs seriously and have enjoyed the benefit of free park admission for decades. He added that the removal of this benefit takes away, for some entire, a major reason for applying in the District. 

©WFTV 9

Another Reedy Creek employee noted that when the District changed hands, employees were told that their jobs and benefits were safe. Employees pointed out that most fire depts are local, but the Reedy Creek Fire Department employs people from all over the state — in part due to the Annual Pass benefit and other perks. In discussing the proposed changes, a retired Reedy Creek firefighter stated, “To think it’s in jeopardy is disturbing,” while a fellow District resident voiced that “Taking away park access is a low blow.”

©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board Livestream

Later in the meeting, the CFTOD cited some expenses that were cut from the 2024 budget. In the District’s press release, the board cited a bill sent to the District for $492,382.96 to cover “Q1 FY22 Tickets.” Other expenses included “Food & Beverage Discount Usage” ($4,969.52), “Water Parks Discount Usage” ($3,764.48), “Merchandise Discount Usage” ($16,837.39), and “employee handouts for hotel usage at the Disney Yacht Club Resort, Disney Caribbean Beach Resort, and Disney Coronado Springs Resort.”

©Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board Livestream

Note that the 2024 budget is still in process, and members of the board encouraged taxpayers to voice any questions or concerns ahead of the September budget meeting.

Stay tuned to DFB for more updates on all the latest Disney news.

Poll Shows What People REALLY Think About Disney-DeSantis Feud

Join the DFB Newsletter to get all the breaking news right in your inbox! Click here to Subscribe!

The post “A Low Blow” – Reedy Creek Board Criticized for Removal of Disney Annual Pass Benefits first appeared on the disney food blog.

View the full article