Chairman out as chaos reigns at Central Florida Tourism Oversight District

Mar 13, 2024 in "Reedy Creek Improvement District"

Posted: Wednesday March 13, 2024 2:00pm ET by WDWMAGIC Staff

According to the Associated Press, Martin Garcia, board chairman of the Ron DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, is out.

Garcia's departure comes just days after CFTOD administrator Glen Gilzean took a new job as Supervisor of Elections in Orange County, filling the vacancy left by former supervisor Bill Cowles' retirement in January. Gilzean will head the Orange County Supervisor of Elections Office as the state begins preparations for the 2024 presidential election.

In an email to the AP, DeSantis' communications director, Bryan Griffin, thanked Garcia for "successfully navigating" the transition of the district and added that Garcia "developed a new district focused on transparency and the elimination of corporate welfare."

The next CFTOD board meeting is scheduled for March 27, 2024.

Central Florida Tourism Oversight District near Disney Springs

Garcia was initially appointed as board chairman through February 2027 and was an original member of DeSantis' new organization, which replaced Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District in June 2023.

Garcia has been one of the most outspoken critics of Disney, recently saying the Disney-controlled Reedy Creek Improvement District was "arguably the most egregious example of corporate cronyism in the history of modern America."

Garcia is the second board member to leave, with Michael Sasso resigning from his board position after less than four months on the job.

It was reported in October 2023 that over thirty employees have resigned from the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District since the DeSantis takeover. This mass exodus includes almost half of its senior leadership, raising serious concerns about operational stability and political influence.

Discuss on the Forums

Get Walt Disney World News Delivered to Your Inbox

DCBaker12 hours ago

Here's the full packet: https://www.oversightdistrict.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/3-28-25-BOS-Agenda-packet.pdf Item 7.4 on the Sunshine Corridor PD&E Study:

Dr.GrantSeeker2 days ago

Oof, 2031 is a long ways away! Wonder how long it will actually take if and when they start it. Edit: thanks Len!

castlecake2.02 days ago

lentesta2 days ago

AFAIK the road budget is still in place. IIRC it was a tie-in of Western Way to the east side of property. ETA: Yep. Look at Exhibit D in this doc from the CFTOD boaerd meeting on 2024-06-05.

LAKid532 days ago

What more can be done?

Dr.GrantSeeker2 days ago

I remember RCID approving a bunch of infrastructure work for Western Way and the BV Drive intersection right before they became CFTOD. Do we still know if these improvements are going to happen and when? @lentesta I’m tagging you because i vaguely remember you talking about this a year ago-ish, which is how I learned about it in the first place. Unless my memory is totally wrong (which it could be) so I apologize in advance if you never mentioned these improvements!

LAKid532 days ago

Have you met OC Planning? Their middle name is urban sprawl....

LAKid532 days ago

It is. I laugh everytime I'm GPSed through property on the way back from MCO. And I think the same on the way home from Port Canaveral. I'd rather make a larger loop around than drive Osceola Parkway to LBV Drive to Western Way to Hartzog.

lazyboy97o2 days ago

And instead of real solutions people just double down on the causes of traffic.

castlecake2.02 days ago

The blessing of size lead to urban sprawl on property, the very thing Walt’s EPCOT was trying to fix. One solution could be trying to implement public transit to get Cast living nearby to work, but Orlando’s transit is terrible, and the sprawl across property makes it hard to make an efficient system for moving people. Now with the sprawl surrounding the property, Disney roads are becoming the shortcuts. The isolated feel of entire resort is quickly disappearing.

LAKid532 days ago

State Road 535 (Avalon Road) North from the intersection at Hartzog is now wall to wall apartment complexes up to New Independence. I had to make a detour to get out of Waterleigh due to road resurfacing and the same is going south. The roads in Horizons West currently can't handle the traffic resulting from the increase in developments. Yeah, it's nice that 429 North of the toll before the Turnpike had been widened, but it's a hot mess in the AM & PM up to that spot. The amount of construction since I bought 2.5 years ago is insane. Don't know HOW they'll widen Western Way once you leave property because there's not much space to add another lane under the 429 overpass. Flamingo Crossings area is growing. And the roads can't handle the traffic.

LuvtheGoof2 days ago

Western Way was really bad around 5:30 yesterday. And then a few idiots on the turnpike going north decided to have a 4 car pile up, blocking both lanes in the construction area, and our normal 2 - 2 1/2 hour trip took almost 4 hours last night!

LAKid533 days ago

My GPS sends me THROUGH property on the way back from MCO. But South on 429 to get there.

LAKid533 days ago

Avalon is bad in the mornings & evenings. Now imagine adding a 1400 unit housing project on Hartzog just before the curve to the intersection with Avalon. Which was just widened up to Schofield.