Big Player in the DeSantis and Disney Legal Battle Resigns to stay on CFTOD

We have a huge update for what’s going on with Disney and the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District. There is an interesting resignation.

Disney vs. DeSantis

By now, it is certainly no secret that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and Disney are in quite a tangle. This includes not one, not two, but three lawsuits. If you need to catch up on those, you can read about the federal lawsuit here, the state lawsuit here, and the most recent countersuit here.

And, it also involves huge operational changes for Walt Disney World. Until recently, Disney was governed by a special district called the Reedy Creek Improvement District (RCID). However, Governor DeSantis and the state of Florida dismantled this district and replaced it with the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District (CFTOD).

Essentially, the new district is now the governing body for Disney World. Any new construction, laws, or amendments Disney wants to make will now have to go through the CFTOD.

All 5 of the CFTOD board members were appointed by DeSantis. John Classe, who served as administrator for the Reedy Creek Improvement District for seven years, stayed on as a special advisor during the transition to the new board’s administrator Glen Gilzean Jr. However, his time with the CFTOD ended abruptly, leaving Gilzean to his own devices.

The CFTOD has already been at the center of turmoil. In fact, the board is actively working to strip benefits from RCID employees. The board reportedly says the benefits in question are unethical.

A Huge Resignation

Speaking of ethics, as it turns out, there is an ethical issue with the CFTOD administrator. Glen Gilzean Jr. holds an appointed position serving as the Head of the Florida Commission on Ethics. Recently, Steven Zuilkowski, the ethics commission’s general counsel, claimed that Gilzean cannot serve as Florida’s ethics commission chairman and also work as the administrator of DeSantis’s CFTOD as it presents a conflict of interest.

This meant that Gilzean would need to decide whether to continue in his new $400,000-a-year position as the administrator of the CFTOD. And, as of Tuesday, August 22, 2023, a decision has been made.

Gilzean’s official resignation reads, “It recently came to my attention that my position as District Administrator of the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District may not be compatible with my position as a member and Chairman of the Florida Commission on Ethics. After reviewing the matter with legal counsel, I have decided that prudence dictates that I discontinue serving in one of the two positions. Therefore, I respectfully tender my resignation from the Florida Commission on Ethics, effective immediately.”

Gilzean has resigned from the Florida Commission of Ethics. He will continue to serve in his position with the CFTOD.

Gilzean also claims he was unaware of a conflict of interest when he initially accepted the position with the CFTOD.

What do you think of this resignation? Is it unsurprising? Let us know in the comments! And, feel free to pass the story along.