It is a mouse that roared.
Disney CEO Bob Iger has sharply criticized Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in escalating a dispute over a special tax district that oversees Orlando’s company theme parks.
“It’s nearly one thing: their retaliation against us,” Iger said in a phone call with investors after Mouse House reported second-quarter earnings according to Wall Street estimates.
“Does the state want us to speculate more, employ more people, pay more taxes or not?”
Disney and DeSantis have been at odds because the likely Republican presidential candidate pushed through the state’s so-called “Don’t Talk About Gay” law, which prohibits teachers from talking in regards to the sexual orientation and gender of all public school students.
Disney’s opposition to the law led DeSantis to strip the corporate of its Reedy Creek Special Tax District, resulting in lawsuits and countersuits in recent months.
“There’s also a false narrative that as a part of this we’re fighting to guard tax breaks,” thundered Iger. “But in reality, we’re the biggest taxpayer in Central Florida, paying over $1.1 billion in state and native taxes just last yr.”
The CEO checked holes in DeSantis’ claim that Disney has a singular position in Sunshine State since it occupies a special tax district, noting that other places like Daytona Speedway and the well-known retirement community of The Villages enjoy this status.
“There are about 2,000 special districts in Florida, and most of them were created to support investment in development,” Iger said. “We were one in all them. It mainly made it easier for us and others to do business in Florida along the way in which.”
DeSantis representatives didn’t immediately reply to the comment.
Iger said Disney plans to spend greater than $17 billion investing in Disney World over the following decade, which is able to create about 13,000 jobs at the corporate and generate higher taxes for Florida.
Disney currently employs over 75,000 people within the region.
But those plans may very well be thwarted by nasty lawsuits over a tax district that was created by the state in 1967 to assist Disney develop theme parks and resorts within the Orlando area.
In late February, DeSantis appointed latest board members to oversee the district in retaliation for the entertainment giant’s public stance.
Iger echoed earlier comments he made earlier this month, explaining that Disney’s position is a “free speech” issue.
Recently, board members claimed that their Disney-controlled predecessors were quick to pounce on them, stripping them of most of their power before stepping aside.
DeSantis pushed for the board’s move to be overturned, promising to nullify the event deal, in addition to things like Disney hotel taxes, resort road tolls, redeveloping a number of the property owned by a neighborhood with rival theme parks, and even putting a state prison round the corner Walt Disney World.
Consequently, Disney sued DeSantis on April 26, claiming that the governor rallied the Republican-controlled Legislature to counter-attack the “woke up Disney” to take control of the executive district.
Disney claimed that DeSantis had violated its protections under the U.S. Structure, including the First Amendment right to free speech. He also seeks to overturn the laws created by the DeSantis board.
DeSantis countered Disney on May 2, accusing the corporate of constructing last-minute “back-office” deals with the previous Disney-controlled board just before the legislature modified its board structure.
The board chosen by DeSantis asked a state court to void those Disney-friendly deals that had given the corporate control of development within the district for many years and which limited the brand new board’s powers.