'There's a new sheriff in town': DeSantis celebrates seizing Disney's Reedy ... trends now
Ron DeSantis warned Disney's Reedy Creek Improvement District 'there's a new sheriff in town' as he vowed to make the self-governing area accountable for its debts and unable to continue operating under special provisions.
The Florida governor lauded his new plan to take complete control of Reedy Creek, which gave Disney unprecedented power over the last 56 years in the area encompassing Walt Disney Resort.
He also went on the defense regarding critics who claimed ahead of the unveiling of the legislation earlier this week that he was being too soft on Disney and was not going to hold their special, self-governing district accountable.
'Disney's going to pay its debt,' DeSantis assured during a press conference on Wednesday morning. 'What I said really for the last six/nine months is: Disney is no longer going to have self-government. They're not going to have their own government. Disney is gonna pay their fair share of taxes and honor their debts. And that's exactly what this proposed piece of legislation will do.'
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis assured Wednesday 'there's a new sheriff in town' when it comes to the handling of Disney's formerly self-governing Reedy Creek Improvement District, which he vowed would pay it's debts and pay taxes going forward
Reedy Creek owes $700 million in debt to Florida due to it's 56 years as a tax exempt district governed entirely b y Disney's five-member board
'A lot of folks in the media were saying that, 'Oh my gosh, Disney's actually going to pay less taxes and Floridians are going to pay more taxes.' They were saying that,' the governor added. 'And I'm like, you've got to be kidding me.'
'Well, this puts that to bed and so those debts will be honored,' he continued.
'This is now obviously going to be controlled by the state of Florida. There's a new sheriff in town.'
DeSantis seized control of Disney's formerly self-governing district in Florida, announcing this week that the company must repay $700 million in debt and begin paying taxes.
In a dramatic escalation of his long-running battle against Disney, the Florida governor on Monday announced he was taking control of the five-member Reedy Creek board.
The board oversees nearly 40 square miles of Florida, on which the Walt Disney World Resort is built.
'Florida is dissolving the Corporate Kingdom and beginning a new era of accountability and transparency,' DeSantis deputy press
