Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed into law Monday (2/27) the bill ending self-government at Disney parks in Orlando. “The corporate reign finally comes to an end,” DeSantis said, as he signed the bill into law at the Lake Buena Vista Fire Department.
On February 10, Florida’s Congress passed DeSantis’ bill for the state’s acquisition of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which had operated independently since 1967. That’s where Disney World operates.
To date, the special district is in the hands of a board of five supervisors chosen by the governor himself, all Republicans and conservatives.
DeSantis and Disney fell out last year when the studio criticized a law instigated by DeSantis, known as “Don’t Say Gay,” that bans raising issues of sexual orientation and gender identity in Florida elementary schools without the consent of the children. .
In retaliation for these criticisms, the governor announced legislation in April last year to eliminate Disney’s special district, which gave the company administrative autonomy and tax exemption.
The company, which employs more than 75,000 people in Florida, has operated this 100-square-mile district as a local municipality since the 1960s, performing its essential public services such as garbage collection and water treatment. Under the new law, the district will, for the first time, have to report its budget and finances to the state, pay some (but not all) taxes, and face restrictions on new construction.
However, the district will retain power over planning, zoning, construction, and safety codes and current tax-exempt status for various obligations.
The self-described “happiest place on Earth” had a special status that allowed it to extend its buildings to half a dozen theme parks, a sports center, a huge shopping mall, 25 hotels, its own police, fire and thousands of employees, on nearly 11,000 acres in Osceola and Orange counties, in the center of the state.
Desantis spoke on Monday about his “struggle,” referring to Disney as a “California company” that enjoyed “privileges” that no one else in Florida enjoyed.
“If we go down this path as a society, these are not the values we want to promote in the state of Florida,” commented DeSantis, reelected in 2022 for another four years. On his Twitter profile, the governor says that Disney “will live by the same laws as everyone else and will pay its debts and a fair share of taxes”.
I signed legislation to end Disney’s self-governing status, placed the area into state receivership, and appointed 5 members to a state board of trustees.
Disney no longer has its own government, will live under the same laws as everyone else, and will pay its debts and fair share of taxes. pic.twitter.com/5JnZmEjSdv
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 27, 2023
Source: Terra

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