Florida Lawmakers Move to Take Over Disney’s Special-Tax District
The Walt Disney Co. may soon lose its grip on Florida’s magic kingdom.
On Monday, the Florida House of Representatives filed a bill to dramatically alter the governance and even change the name of the Reedy Creek Improvement District. This special-tax district is located near Orlando. It has allowed Disney to manage the land that hosts its Walt Disney World Resort since more than 50 years. This move is the culmination last year’s GOP efforts to curb Disney’s special tax status. However, it does not eliminate it entirely.
Fred Hawkins (Orlando Rep.) sponsored the bill. It would rename Reedy Creek to Central Florida Tourism Oversight District, and grant Gov. Ron DeSantis has the power to appoint members of its governing body, which is the five-member board supervisors. Any such appointments would need to be approved by the Florida state Senate.
The current state law states that Reedy Creek’s board of directors is basically hand-picked by Disney. Disney owns most of the district’s land and assets. The district can approve any new real estate developments at Walt Disney World, without needing to obtain approvals from local authorities for environmental impact, drainage, and other regulations.