Florida Governor Ron DeSantis today again requested that he and the state legislature void all development agreements with Disney and take control of the property that is home to Walt Disney World and which the company owned and managed in the so-called Reedy Creek Improvement District. can and will repeat.
He said the recently discovered Disney contracts were legally flawed, but said even if they weren’t, “Florida’s statutes give the legislature the power to revoke development agreements in those very cases.” He said this afternoon at a news conference at the Reedy Creek. Built in Lake Buena Vista that the state “will see to it that the compacts are overturned and that the will of the people is established and enforced.”
What might it look like for the house of the mouse? The governor seemed to revel in ticking off options, including stricter building and safety inspections — he specifically mentioned the WDW monorail — higher wages for first responders, affordable housing for park workers, and no more “medical authoritarian policies” like B. Forcing customers to wear masks.
He considered the possibility of developing district land not owned by Disney. “People say, ‘Well, what are we going to do with this country? Maybe build a state park. Maybe try to do more theme parks?’ Someone even said, “You might even need a state prison.”
“Who knows? I just think the possibilities are endless.”
Disney declined to comment.
Former CEO Bob Chapek upstaged the governor a year ago when, under pressure from employees, he opposed the state’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” law. Florida lawmakers voted to overturn Disney’s longtime autonomy in Reedy Creek. But an old board of directors appointed by Disney secured long-term development deals that appeared to be the final rounds around DeSantis and the new district board he appointed. The deal was public but came as a surprise to the new board, which took office earlier this year.
Current Disney CEO Bob Iger took DeSantis off the air at a recent annual company meeting, noting that the area in question was swampland before Walt Disney developed it. “We love the state of Florida. And I think that’s not only reflected in how much we’ve invested over the last 50 years, but also in how much we’ve given back in the form of jobs and council tax that you mentioned, tourism of course and all sorts of other responsible business practices. We also always respected and appreciated what the state did for us,” he said, “but it was kind of a one-way street.”
A person familiar with the situation said the development agreement with Disney has been approved by the state.
On safety, the person said Disney has been a leader and continues to develop procedures and best practices used across the industry, including a statewide memorandum requiring quarterly reporting of serious driving-related injuries and prompt reporting of fatalities. B. Semi-Annual Site Visits and Reviews.
About Housing: In 2022, WDW announced it will contribute nearly 80 acres of land to more than 1,300 viable homes for Central Florida. There have been discussions about housing, “but very little follow-through,” the governor said at his press conference.
Disney is the state’s largest taxpayer with $1.146 billion (state and local) last year.
DeSantis also scoffed at Disney being allowed to do its own property appraisal. The acquaintance said that Disney does not value its own properties, but it is done annually by the Orange County tax attorney or the Osceola County tax attorney.
Source: Deadline
Mary Crossley is an author at “The Fashion Vibes”. She is a seasoned journalist who is dedicated to delivering the latest news to her readers. With a keen sense of what’s important, Mary covers a wide range of topics, from politics to lifestyle and everything in between.
