LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. — After a months-long back-and-forth sparked by Disney World’s opposition to Florida’s controversial Parental Rights in Education bill, the state will officially take control of the theme park’s special governing district.
Gov. Ron DeSantis made it official Monday by signing a bill passed by lawmakers earlier this month to take over Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District.
“The corporate kingdom finally comes to an end," DeSantis said. “There’s a new sheriff in town, and accountability will be the order of the day.”
The bill, HB 9-B, replaces the theme park's self-governing district with a state-controlled district run by a five-member board. DeSantis said the board members will include:
- Tampa's Martin Garcia, who will be appointed chair
- Sarasota County School Board member Bridget Ziegler
- Pinellas County politician Brian Aungst
- Central Florida lawyer Mike Sasso
- Businessman Ron Peri
The legislation also ensures that Disney abides by certain state regulatory practices and is held accountable for its own municipal debt — a debt that has racked up to more than $700 million.
“I was not gonna put local taxpayers at risk…so it's under state control, not local control," DeSantis said. “There will be no additional tax burden on any Floridians in central Florida or otherwise."
The takeover of the Disney district began last year when the entertainment giant publicly opposed Florida's Parental Rights in Education bill — dubbed "Don't Say Gay" by critics because it bars instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in kindergarten through third grade and lessons deemed not age-appropriate.
DeSantis moved to quickly to penalize the company, directing lawmakers in the GOP-dominated Legislature to dissolve Disney's self-governing district during a special legislative session last year.
In February, DeSantis called on lawmakers to again return to deal with Disney and finalize state control over the district in another hastily called special session that signaled the governor's willingness to wield the power of state government to accomplish political goals.
The new law changes the district’s name from the Reedy Creek Improvement District to the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District and subjects it to various layers of state oversight.
It leaves the district and its financial abilities and debt obligations intact, addressing a chief concern of surrounding governments. It also prevents people who have worked with or contracted with a theme park in the past three years from serving on the district’s new governing board.
Having a separate government allows the district to issue bonds and provide zoning, fire protection, utilities and infrastructure services on its land. Republican critics of the district argue it gives Disney a commercial advantage unavailable to others.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.