Florida Governor Ron DeSantis will seek to bring Disney’s special government district under direct state control in a bid to end the entertainment giant’s decades-long deal with the Sunshine State.
DeSantis is expected to appoint a new board to control Reedy Creek, the autonomous area currently run de facto by The Walt Disney Company, allowing it to maintain its own infrastructure and public services. Created in 1967, the district also allows Disney to raise taxes and issue bonds to finance the expenses necessary to operate the services of the Walt Disney World resort.
“The corporate reign has come to an end,” DeSantis director of communications Taryn Fenske said in a statement. «Under the proposed legislation, Disney will no longer control his own government, will live under the same laws as everyone else, be responsible for his outstanding debts, and pay his fair share of taxes.»
Fenske added that a state-controlled board would also ensure that neighboring Orange County can’t use problems related to Reedy Creek «as a pretext to raise taxes on Orange County residents.»
foxnews first reported developments on Friday, citing sources in DeSantis’ office. in a document Posted on the website for Osceola County, which also borders Orange County and Reedy Creek, noted that the proposed legislation would not leave any current aspect of Reedy Creek intact.
Florida lawmakers already voted in a special session last year to dissolve all special districts like Reedy Creek in Florida by June 2023. It was not immediately clear how that earlier vote would affect the new proposal.
Florida’s next legislative session will begin in March.
DeSantis’ dispute with Disney stems from the company’s decision last year to weigh in on the governor’s proposal to ban discussion of gender and sexual orientation in schools kindergarten through third grade. In response, DeSantis and his allies in the Florida legislature announced they would seek to end the privileges Disney had enjoyed through the special district.
The perception that Disney had entered a political battle is said to have played a role in the ouster of former CEO Bob Chapek and the return of former CEO Bob Iger. At a town hall meeting with Disney employees shortly after returning to the helm, Iger said he didn’t like seeing Disney embroiled in controversy.
“The state of Florida has been very important to us for a long time, and we’ve been very important to the state of Florida,” Iger said last month.
A representative for Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment.