Disney Sued by Florida for Control of Theme Park’s Expansion
In the latest chapter of the tussle between Disney and the state of Florida, the newly appointed board for a special tax district encompassing Walt Disney World sued the company in Orlando on Monday to try to regain control over expansion at the theme park complex.
The district’s complaint involves a pair of contracts that Disney World struck with a prior board that Disney controlled. The agreements — adopted at public forums — lock in a comprehensive plan for growth on Disney’s 25,000-acre property near Orlando, including the possible construction of a fifth theme park and 14,000 additional hotel rooms.
“These agreements reek of a back room deal,” the district’s new board said in its 188-page lawsuit filed in state court. “Out of haste or ignorance, Disney’s deals violate basic principles of Florida constitutional, statutory and common law. As a result, they are null and void — not even worth the paper they were printed on.”
Disney declined to comment.
The lawsuit, which had been expected, is the latest volley in a 14-month dispute between Gov. Ron DeSantis of Florida and Disney World, the state’s largest tax payer and the nation’s largest single-site employer. Last week, after the new board voted to nullify the development agreements, Disney sued Mr. DeSantis and the new board members, claiming “a targeted campaign of government retaliation.” Disney filed its lawsuit in federal court in Tallahassee.
Source: The New York Times
