Dismantling Disney’s special district status would be complicated and expensive

But dissolving Reedy Creek, a 38.5-square-mile special favor that legislators gave to Disney in 1967, is not going to be easy. Because Disney for more than 50 years has had the power to build its own infrastructure, run a fire department and regulate its own construction, Reedy Creek has grown over the years into a highly complex government similar to one of Florida’s counties.

Advertisement

Reedy Creek has an annual budget of $355 million, and $977 million of debt. It includes a building department, a fire department and it runs its own utilities.

According to state law, if Reedy Creek is dissolved, both its assets and liabilities would be transferred to local governments surrounding the district. That means Lake Buena Vista and Bay Lake — two cities with a combined population of fewer than 100 people — and Osceola and Orange counties could be left to assume all of Reedy Creek’s responsibilities.

“It’s a messy ball of wax that would have to be untangled in some fashion,” said Richard Foglesong, a professor emeritus of political science at Rollins College who wrote a book about Florida’s history with Disney. “I wonder if the state is really up to figuring out how this would be done, or if they are just going to put it in the lap of the two counties.”

Join the conversation as a VIP Member

Trending on HotAir Videos

Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement