Florida’s Governor Ron DeSantis, Wilton Simpson, Florida’s Commissioner of Agriculture, and a couple of other speakers held a press conference regarding Disney’s move to give themselves the power to supersede the state. The Governor intends to nullify the Reedy Creek Agreement with Disney.
DeSantis started the press conference by stating that the Government is laws and not men and is superior to big corporations. Saying Disney is not superior to the laws enacted by the state.
The plan is to revoke the development agreement due to “legal infirmities that render them illegal.” Citing procedures to notify property owners and other issues about self-dealing. Currently, the Florida Inspector General is investigating Disney over the agreement, alleging Disney tried to add restrictive covenants to the land owned by the district.
Another element they are looking into is how Disney self-assesses their property values while other taxpayers or corporations can not.
A formal bill will be presented to the Florida legislature as early as next week. They also want to work with the legislature to provide a provision for inspections as Disney’s monorail is exempt from safety inspections.
DeSantis also mentioned that they would l like to get the first responders that service the Walt Disney World district a pay raise.
During the press conference, the governor quelled rumors about taxpayers footing the bill for Disney’s almost $1 billion unsecured debt, saying taxpayers will not pay it outside the district. Indicating they could look at the millage rate and revenue to accelerate the debt payments. Selling the utilities to a private entity to pay off bonds and debts was also mentioned.
Affordable housing for workforce employees was also addressed, with DeSantis saying there have been promises of affordable housing, but very little follow through for various reasons. They want to make affordable housing a priority in the new district.
If there was a central message running through the press conference, it was that Disney could not receive special treatment over the taxpayers or competitors.
At the end of the press conference, DeSantis indicated everyone should stay tuned as more information comes out over the next few days and weeks.
If you would like to watch the press conference you can do so below.
What do you think? Comment and let us know!
Pirates & Princesses (TM) (Stylized as PNP) is an independent, opinionated News and Information site focused on Travel, Entertainment, Fashion, the “Geek Girl” Lifestyle, and more. We focus heavily on Walt Disney World, Disneyland, Universal Orlando Resort, and other themed entertainment and travel destinations. Our news staff includes former theme park and entertainment industry employees, journalists and dedicated pop culture and theme park enthusiasts. Opinions expressed by contributors do not necessarily reflect the views of this site, our affiliates or our sponsors.