Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis said he wants the state – not the counties – to take control of the Disney-dominated self-governing body that has run theme parks in the Orlando area for more than 50 years.
The Republican governor, who has won praise from many conservatives for staring at Mouse House over state law, don’t say gay, said it would be fairer for other companies if the state monitored the area to improve Reedy Creek .
“It’s more likely that the state will just take control and make sure we’re able to enforce the law and make sure we collect taxes,” DeSantis told CNN.
Last month, DeSantis signed a measure dissolving the RCID, which operates as an autonomous entity in Orange and Osceola counties, which has the power to impose taxes, build infrastructure, grant licenses and enforce its own zoning laws.
The state of Florida will take control of the Reedy Creek Improvement District, a Disney-dominated self-governing unit that manages the company’s theme parks in and around Orlando, Gov. Ron DeSantis said. GC Images DeSantis said Monday that local authorities will not be responsible for administering the land on which Disney theme parks are located.SOPA Images / LightRocket via Getty Images
Officials in both counties criticized DeSantis and the state legislature, saying the dissolution of the RCID would mean county taxpayers would have to pay more than $ 1 billion in bond debt.
The DeSantis plan alleviates this concern and ensures that residents of these counties will not face higher taxes.
“In the first place, it would be a dairy cow for them if they had Disney,” DeSantis said, citing counties.
“But I’m worried they’ll use this as a pretext to raise people’s taxes when that’s what they want to do anyway, and then they’ll try to blame Reedy Creek, so we won’t give them that opportunity. . “
Disney clashed with DeSantis and GOP lawmakers in Florida when it came out in opposition to the new Don’t Say Gay law. Bloomberg via Getty Images
The governor said a plan for the state to take control of the RCID, whose board members have ties to Disney, will not be introduced until after the November election.
The new law on the dissolution of the district will not enter into force until June 2023.
Disney clashed with the Florida Republican Party under pressure from officials and opposed the Don’t Say Gay Act, which bans teaching children about topics including gender identity and sexual orientation before fourth grade.
“The way forward is that Disney will not control its own government in Florida,” DeSantis said.
“Disney will have to follow the same laws that every other company has to follow in Florida. They will pay their fair share of taxes. “
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