Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis escalated his weeks-long feud with Disney on Tuesday, challenging lawmakers to eliminate the special status that allows the entertainment company to operate as an independent government around its Orlando-area theme park.
In a bombshell announcement dropped just hours before lawmakers returned to Tallahassee for a special session to finalize new congressional maps, DeSantis changed the agenda for the week to also include a review of "independent special districts that were established prior to November 5, 1968." That would include the Reedy Creek Improvement Act, passed by the Legislature in 1967 to help establish Walt Disney World.
A bill filed by a Republican lawmaker soon after DeSantis' announcement would dissolve Disney's special district on June 1, 2023....
Is Disney prepared to eliminate the district it sits on and what has been proposed in the Florida budget to replace the district so Disney is fully supported? If the district falls into disrepair it will effect business. If this is due to ONLY redistricting, there are real concerns about the judgement of the members of the Florida legislature willing to do anything to Republican control of the vote going forward.
Congressional districts can be assigned by the number of people alone living and working within a district. I am quite sure there are significant number of people served in this district. Aren't they voicing there concerns and why not?
It seems to me everything has gone correctly all these decades and now all of a sudden that has to change to satify voting maps. That is not the way a governor is supposed to see a state full of people facing enormous issues the least of which is a climate crisis. Miami is having significant problems already due to climate and that never enters the Republican policy map. I think being responsible is more important than gerrymandering districts to corruptly win elections.
The public needs to hear from the parties most effected by these ridiculous new maps. The threat of well being of a lot of people that visit Disney every year are at stake. Disney's average tourist population is 58 million people (click here). That is a lot of flushing toilets.
...The District (click here) is responsible to oversee land use and environmental protections within the District, and provide essential public services (e.g. fire protection, emergency medical services, potable water production, treatment, storage, pumping & distribution, reclaimed water distribution, chilled and hot water systems, wastewater services, drainage and flood control, electric power generation & distribution, and solid waste and recyclables collection & disposal); regulate the EPCOT Building Code; and operate and maintain all public roadways & bridges. The District operates on a fiscal year, beginning on October 1st and ending on September 30th; and funds its operations, services, and capital improvements by assessing taxes and fees to the District’s landowners and lessees, and by issuing ad valorem and utility revenue bonds....
