Essentially only one.
$$$$$$$$$$$$$
Funny the libs scream that the rich need to pay their fair share until a Republican takes Disney’s special status away....
What if Disney was a drug company? What if it was an oil company? Would the left be decrying it’s loss of special privileges right now?
Hasn’t the left always told us that big corporations need to pay their “fair share?”
If it really is political, shareholders should sue the CEO for choosing politics over business.
When PA started taxing Software consultants with a sales tax under the venerable Tom Ridge. (this was Stopped shortly after) GE negotiated a special consideration that it would only pay based on the net. IE billed amount of $50 and $45 paid to consultant “B” subcontractor. GE would only pay the sales tax on the $5. As far as i know no other company had that option and paid the “sales tax” on the entire $50 for the contractor/subcontractor.
Disney is a predator corporation. Don’t facilitate predatory behavior.
So a state government makes one, who has very progressive views, pay their fair share by ending their special tax status.
And now they are unhappy???
Hypocrisy
I’m okay with picking on pedophiles and child groomers like Disney 🤪
Its funny that the socialists who use government at every opportunity to bash private companies, especially large ones, that THEY dont like
Gun manufacturers, energy industry, others,
Now calls it wrong to do so.
And its actually making it fair, as Florida has dissolved all other special zones like this that were created when Disney’s was.
Become political, and political favors - and thats what this was - a special political favor to Disney, may be revoked.
Tucker: This Will Cost The Disney Corporation A Ton Of Money.
Can't they see? without the government interfering in their business, Disney is now truly free.
waiting on the cries of how many jobs will be lost. How dare they!!!!!! Disney is far left, and the left hates trickle down economics.
then again, I never met a leftie who was comfortable wearing the shoes they want everybody else to wear. Thats their M.O. rules for thee, but not for me!!
Leftists used to hate the Reedy Creek Improvement District.
They hated letting a corporation govern what is essentially a municipality.
But Disney used to be evil capitalists. Now they’re good, in the leftist eye.
But Disney is a conspiracy to commit felonies. Better confiscate their assets.
Don’t worry about Disney. They’ll pass that cost onto their customers.
The official list of Florida special districts now has some 1844 entries. Most of them were created by cities and counties with state approval under general provisions of Florida law to finance and administer various governmental services, usually by building improvements such as roads, water and sewer lines, drainage canals, and so on in a particular area. Other special districts were created to provide services like fire and police protection, mosquito control, and parks and local public libraries. A handful of special districts were created before 1968 by a special legislative act -- including Disney's special district. Those tend to have unique powers that otherwise would not be granted today.
The power of special districts to levy taxes and often to issue revenue bonds for improvements means that a developer or local government do not have to bear those costs up front. Instead, the money is borrowed by the special district through revenue bonds and eventually paid back by ad valorem taxes on the purchasers and users of the land after it is developed.
For local governments, special districts created for services like fire and police protection and parks and libraries and such also allow a tax burden for that service to be limited to the area defined by the geographic scope of the special district and to get around ad valorem tax limitations in the Florida constitution. Special district taxes are in addition to the tax limitations applied to cities and counties. Florida property tax payers who look at the details of their bills nowadays will find assessments for the city and county they are in and usually one or more special districts.
Under general law and depending on the terms of the specific ordinance creating them, the governing boards of special districts may be appointed by a developer, elected by the voters in the district, appointed by local elected elected officials, or they may be the elected officials themselves ex officio. Often, Florida city councils and county commissions will gavel through and conduct special district meetings as part of their general sessions.
The Reedy Creek Improvement District was not created under the general law provisions of law and the practice of recent decades but by a lengthy and unusual special legislative act at Disney's urging in 1967. The RCID operates over a territory of forty square miles and spans part of two counties, Orange and Osceola, has a massive budget, and has numerous special powers and exemptions that are not available under general Florida law.
Indeed, the RCID extends even to land owned by those other than Disney. Since the RCID is governed by a board elected by a handful of loyal Disney employees and Disney retirees or their family members who are residents, it is captive to Disney's interests. The RCID can at times be high-handed and demanding of non-Disney property owners who want RCID services and approvals. In effect, the RCID plans are written to favor Disney and its interests.
Even worse, the RCID provides a way for Disney to stiff-arm local government planning processes and avoid paying more of local infrastructure needs. Notably, until Disney became woke, the state's newspapers and good government types frequently criticized the RCID and Disney on that basis.
It should not be thought that Disney pays high wages. Disney's wage rates are notoriously low and contribute to the Orlando area's low wages and relatively large population of working poor. Notably, the Democrats who now dominate local government in Orange County want to impose a regressive one cent local sales tax to pay for road improvements made necessary by the area's growth. Most local politicians would rather lose an arm than consider and discuss the possibility of taxing Disney and other tourist venues more in order to pay for the growth that they have caused.
The new Florida law abolishing the Reedy Creek Improvement District in its current form will not take effect for a little more than a year. No doubt the RCID will be reconstituted or one or more new special districts will be created in its place based on current Florida general law to assume the RCID's planning and taxing powers and accumulated bond debt. I think that Disney mostly fears two things.
First, a successor special district (or districts) will be governed by a board appointed by local elected county commissioners or by the commissioners themselves as the board. That means that instead of being a captive to Disney's interests, the new special district (or districts) will answer to the interests of the local communities near where Disney World.
For example, absent the RCID in its current form, there would no more of Disney using the RCID to block proposals for mass transit stations that would make it easier for Disney guests to leave the property if they like. Disney has done this repeatedly over the years. More broadly, Disney would end up being more answerable to and better integrated into local planning decisions. In essence, Disney would become less powerful.
Second, Disney fears higher tax bills, through higher tax assessments and new special district boundaries, budget, and tax rates on Disney expanding to cover more of local road and infrastructure needs. As it is, Disney presently enjoys relatively low local ad valorem tax assessments.
A modern and reconstituted RCID or a set of daughter special districts would almost certainly tax Disney World to pay for more of the public infrastructure improvements that its presence and growth require. Disney has long shirked paying for that, which puts all other local taxpayers on the hook. In effect, DeSantis and the Florida Republican legislature may be near to ending the free ride on many local infrastructure costs that Disney has enjoyed for decades.
In sum, DeSantis and Republicans in the Florida legislature have struck a blow that is both against a powerful woke corporation AND for good government and greater accountability.