If you look at the headlines coming out of Ron DeSantis’ new governor-controlled Disney district, you might think that Central Florida’s newest attraction is Mickey’s Wide World of Governmental Dumpster Fires.
New reports show veteran employees and managers are fleeing, saying incompetent management is in charge.
Spending on road maintenance is down while $795-an-hour checks to politically connected lawyers are increasing.
And now we’ve learned that the district awarded a $240,000 no-bid contract to yet another political insider — a member of the state’s now-infamous ethics commission who used to serve alongside the district’s ethically embattled new director, Glen Gilzean. That contract was canceled Monday after media raised questions.
Gee, who could’ve ever imagined that asking political cronies to mount a politically motivated takeover of a private business would lead to trouble?
Let’s start with the staff exodus. The Florida watchdog website, Seeking Rents, reported over the weekend that more than 30 district employees — including nearly half the senior leadership team — have resigned amid claims of mismanagement.
The numbers were significant, representing more than 350 years of combined experience and about a tenth of the district’s workforce resigning over the course of nine months. But just as significant were the reasons they gave for leaving.
One departing department director called the new leadership “unqualified and incompetent,” saying in an exit survey obtained via public-records requests that: “With the departure of more than 3 dozen employees, the district is no longer functional.”
A departing accountant described “a toxic workplace right now.” A former manager with more than 30 years of experience said the new political appointees “show a severe lack of trust for employees.”
And a departing executive assistant said the new leaders “could care less about the work that needs to be done for the taxpayers.”
How magical.
ICYMI: Employees of the district that oversees Walt Disney World are quitting in droves after Ron DeSantis seized control in order to punish the Walt Disney Co. – and installed new leadership that ex-workers say is inept, dishonest and toxic. https://t.co/FyekkH6szY pic.twitter.com/jywSD851S8
— Jason Garcia (@Jason_Garcia) October 30, 2023
Then there’s the no-bid contract that the new Central Florida Tourism Oversight District recently awarded to another political crony — DeSantis ally Freddie Figgers (whose name actually sounds like a Disney character).
As WFTV reported last week, the district awarded Figgers a contract to help provide 911 services without giving other Florida companies the chance to bid on the gig.
Now, the district’s procurement policy states that contracts worth more than $100,000 should be competitively bid. And this contract was worth $242,500. Even Tweedledum knows that second number is bigger than the first.
But the district said that — gosh, darn it — it just didn’t have time to competitively bid this job out and that their policies allow “emergency” contracts to be issued without bids.
That sounds like a lot of Bibbidi Bobbidi bunk — especially since the contract ended up going to another DeSantis appointee.
Yes, these guys want you to believe that in a state of 22 million people, the only company capable of doing this emergency-communications work happens to be run by another gubernatorial appointee who serves on this state’s joke of an ethics commission.
It’s truly a small world, after all.
After local media asked questions, Figgers sent a letter to the district Monday agreeing to cancel his no-bid contract to “err on the side of caution,” saying: “We welcome the opportunity for an open bidding process …” Good for him. That’s how it should’ve been all along.
Speaking of the ethics commission, I still don’t understand how anyone thinks it’s proper for Gilzean to be pulling down this $400,000-a-year paycheck after the ethics commission’s own attorney said he was violating state statutes earlier this year by trying to serve as both an ethics commissioner and a paid public employee. Gilzean was forced to give up his ethics post, but this governor has yanked duly elected public officials out of office who have broken no rules while he leaves this statute-violating guy in a cushy job.
DeSantis’ Disney chief can’t hold both posts, ethics lawyer says
Meanwhile, the district is racking up legal bills. The district’s budget shows spending on “professional services … due to legal fees” has skyrocketed from $4.2 million to $11.1 million with some of that money going to $795-an-hour law firms, including one whose partners include DeSantis’ former roommate and campaign supporter.
Not magical: Disney will pay legal bills for both sides in DeSantis fight
At the same time, the amount budgeted for road repairs and maintenance — you know, the kind of work the district is actually supposed to be doing — has been cut by several million dollars, even though the park is growing and costs are rising.
So, cronies are cashing in while services suffer under this gubernatorial board whose members include a Moms for Liberty member and a pastor who made headlines for suggesting that contaminated tap water was turning people gay. The Mad Hatter would be proud.
DeSantis appointee to Disney board denies saying tap water turns you gay. Um, what? | Commentary
Listen, many of us never thought Disney deserved its own private governmental district. No company does. But Tallahassee lawmakers were happy to let Disney keep this ridiculous perk as long as the company kept cutting them campaign checks and supporting their legislation. It was only after Disney criticized their anti-gay bills and announced that it was ending its political donations that the politicians staged hissy fits and vowed to retaliate.
DeSantis, Florida GOP did favors for Disney – until Disney stopped giving them money | Commentary
Still, even then, I might’ve supported them taking away Disney’s special governmental powers and treating the company like everyone else. But that’s not what DeSantis and GOP legislators did. Instead, they created their own little political kingdom where a group of political appointees controls the business fate of a private company. No other company is treated like that.
This was political retaliation and poorly thought-out retaliation at that. And we’re now seeing exactly how that plays out — fleeing employees, big legal bills, suspicious contracts and all.
smaxwell@orlandosentinel.com
