Disney and DeSantis have been at odds ever since Florida passed the “don’t say gay” legislation, which was widely panned.
Florida’s Republican governor, Ron DeSantis, and the Walt Disney Company are at odds, and DeSantis wants to limit Disney’s influence in the state. Disney has reportedly urged King Charles III to put an end to the crisis.
DeSantis signed a measure in February that eliminated Disney’s special tax district and placed the media conglomerate under the jurisdiction of a state committee after legislators had been working on the issue for nearly a year. Many of the special district’s responsibilities were transferred to Disney in the same month that the Florida House of Representatives voted to take the property, when the board was still headed by individuals with connections to Disney.
The Reedy Creek Improvement District handed over most of its authority to Disney until February 8, when vendor contracts were finalized. These agreements last for a full three decades. On the same day, a rule approved by the Florida legislature will apply to some of Disney’s property.
A regulation established by the British government in 1692 served as the basis for the agreement. It meant that Disney didn’t have to ask for special approval from the board for anything too complex or too high. The growth rights could also be sold or traded by the business.
According to the document, “This Declaration will remain in effect until 21 years after the death of the last living descendant of King Charles III, King of England, who was alive at the time this declaration was made.” This is the form of English most commonly used in the United Kingdom.
“This clause would be there for 100 years as long as one of those grandchildren lives to be 80,” Robert Lord, a senior tax policy specialist at the progressive organization Patriotic Millionaires, told NBC News.
This clause of the agreement was already in place before February 27, when DeSantis replaced the Disney-friendly board members with Republicans. The Central Florida Tourism Oversight Board (CFTOB), formerly known as the Reedy Creek Special District, recently held its first meeting under its new name.
At a gathering on February 27, new CFTOB member Ron Peri said that the board’s limited authority meant that it could do little more than maintain roads and fundamental infrastructure.
It was approved on the same day that the legislation allowing it was approved by the Florida legislature. New board member Brian Aungst Jr. claims the agreement is invalid because its sole purpose was to obstruct our work.
Aungst Jr. admitted, “That makes me feel really bad.”
The Governor’s Office Spokesperson Taryn Fenske stated, “The Executive Office of the Governor is aware of Disney’s last-ditch efforts to sign contracts right before ratifying the new law that gives Disney the rights and powers of Reedy Creek Improvement District.”
His aides assured him that the governor was fine with the new district, but he was unaware of the actions taken by the prior board. But at a public board meeting where the issue was discussed, they were approved.
With Fenske’s statement that “a preliminary review suggests these agreements may have significant legal flaws that would make the contracts null and void as a matter of law,” we applaud the new board that the governor appointed for employing accountants and attorneys to investigate Disney’s previous actions.