Florida lawmakers unveiled a bill on Monday for state control of a special district set up to let The Walt Disney Co. largely self govern much of the area around Walt Disney World.
The bill, expected to be considered during a special session of the state legislature this month, would allow Gov. Ron DeSantis to appoint the five board members of the district. The legislation also would rename the Reedy Creek Improvement District to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District.
The bill also calls for the district to continue honoring outstanding debt and will retain powers of taxation. The board members would be appointed by the governor and confirmed by the Senate. bill also prohibits theme park employees or other affiliated parties from serving on the board.
The district was created in the 1960s as Disney prepared to build its theme park on the property. But last year, DeSantis led an effort to dissolve the special district after The Walt Disney Co. came out against his parental rights legislation, dubbed the “don’t say gay” law. Democrats slammed the governor for the move as retaliation against the company, while officials in surrounding counties expressed concern that they would be stuck with around $1 billion in Reedy Creek district debt.
The governor’s staff had said that additional legislation would address concerns before the dissolution of the district, scheduled for June. Under the bill, that won’t happen, but the district will operate under a new name and control.
