Florida governor set to gain control of Disney's district board in new bill

Los Angeles, United States

Lawmakers in Florida are proposing to give governor Ron DeSantis full control over the board overseeing Walt Disney Co.'s special district. 

According to the latest reports, a new bill filed on Monday would give the governor power to appoint the five-member board of supervisors that runs the Reedy Creek Improvement District, which is a special government entity that has granted several benefits to Disney for over half a century. Those five appointees will then have to be confirmed by state senators.

The new rules also prevent people with ties to a theme park in the last three years from serving on the board.

"Florida is dissolving the corporate kingdom and beginning a new era of accountability and transparency," Bryan Griffin, DeSantis’ press secretary, said in an emailed statement. The former rules "gifted extraordinary special privileges to a single corporation."

Reedy Creek Improvement District is currently governed by a five-member board of supervisors, which are usually elected by local property owners, according to its charter. Given that most of the land within the district is owned by Disney and its affiliates, the company has out-sized decision-making power.

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In a statement, Jeff Vahle, president of the Walt Disney World resort, stated that the company is monitoring the progress of the legislation. "Disney works under a number of different models and jurisdictions around the world, and regardless of the outcome, we remain committed to providing the highest quality experience for the millions of guests who visit each year," he said.

DeSantis signed a law last year that would have dissolved Reedy Creek, which provides municipal functions such as infrastructure, water and emergency services to Walt Disney World Resort. The move was a response to what the Florida governor saw as Disney's criticism of a law he signed that limits elementary school teachings about gender identity. 

The bill will be discussed in a Florida House state affairs committee hearing on Wednesday and is expected to be debated by the full legislature later this week. Eventually, a version will be brought to DeSantis for his signature.

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