Sunsetting the Reedy Creek Improvement District means that local counties will likely be left to foot the bill for pot holes and emergency services at Disney World.
Tax experts and legislators say eliminating the district could have unintended consequences for county taxpayers. Disney's special tax district status allows the company to levy an additional tax on itself to pay for municipal services, something that other counties cannot do. That tax currently amounts to $105 million per year, said Orange County tax collector Scott Randolph. Reedy Creek also receives additional revenue of nearly $60 million from Disney to pay its bond debt.
Sunsetting Reedy Creek means that local counties will begin paying for those services without that special status in place. Taxpayers will likely be left to foot the bill for pot holes and emergency services. The counties would also absorb Reedy Creek's debt. The district historically operates at a loss of around
, according to its financial reports. But since Disney can subsidize its own operations with theme park revenue, that debt doesn't have much impact on its bottom line.that taxpayers would become responsible for should the special district get absorbed, leading to higher taxes. And salvaging those budgets won't be easy. State law prohibits counties from raising sales taxes or impact fees to cover costs, and they must tax all areas of the county equally. So, whatever they enact will apply to everyone.
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