“Make no mistake about it, the reason why the legislature had to act was not because of anything we did,” DeSantis said at a news conference Friday. “It was basically born out of Disney’s arrogance that they would be able to subcontract around the duly enacted laws of the state of Florida. That’s wrong.”
The bill reads: “An independent special district is precluded from complying with the terms of any development agreement, or any other agreement for which the development agreement serves in whole or part as consideration, which is executed within 3 months preceding the effective date of a law modifying the manner of selecting members of the governing body of the independent special district from election to appointment or from appointment to election.”
Special Status
In retaliation, DeSantis moved to strip Disney’s special status it had enjoyed since 1967 due to a legislative decision.The special status of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, located in Osceola and Orange counties, gave Disney near total operational autonomy over the 25,000 acres surrounding the Walt Disney World resort, which opened in 1971.
Specifically, it gave Disney self-governance powers unlike those granted to any other business in the state. These include the power to create and enforce its own building codes and zoning laws, as well as to levy taxes and operate its own utility services. The Reedy Creek Improvement District board, controlled and hand-picked by Disney, administered the special district’s roads, utilities, and other essential services.
But less than three weeks before the bill’s signing, the old board transferred most of its power to Disney itself. The last-minute deal would, in part, give Disney 30-year control over all development rights.
Central Florida Tourism Oversight District on April 26 said Disney’s plans for potential expansion of Disney World did not comply with state law and declared that agreement void.
This prompted Disney to file a lawsuit in federal court the same day, accusing DeSantis of illegally engaging in “a targeted campaign of government retaliation” as “punishment” for Disney exercising its free speech rights.Disney did not immediately respond to a request for comment over the latest move from DeSantis.