Board overseeing Disney World refutes claim about ‘defunding’ law enforcement
ORLANDO, Fla. (FLV) – A WFTV reporter said that the board overseeing Walt Disney World will “defund” law enforcement; however, the board’s spokesperson said the proposed cuts would stop paying police to work off duty as private security for Disney.
A spokesperson for the district said the board’s proposed cuts apply to a program that uses taxpayer dollars to fund police to work off duty as private security for Disney. The program was specifically for off-duty officers performing private security services.
WFTV reporter Christopher Heath referenced a report from his station in a tweet.
“The DeSantis board overseeing Walt Disney World looks to defund law enforcement to pay for lawsuits,” Heath said.
The DeSantis-appointed Central Florida Tourism Oversight District oversees Walt Disney World.
“Under the proposed budget, the police are fully funded,” the spokesperson for the district confirmed.
The spokesperson continued that no other businesses in the district were “offered this benefit,” calling it “unfair” to continue providing it.
The spokesperson said during the Central Florida Tourism Oversight District meeting, the board voted to approve a reduction in property tax rates, and that “there are sufficient funds to pay for all appropriate government functions.”
The Disney-controlled cities of Bay Lake and Lake Buena Vista voted Thursday morning to increase their property tax rate to pay for the program, the spokesperson told Florida’s Voice.
The WFTV story said the governor-appointed board overseeing Disney’s special district is “going after the deputies hired to protect park guests.”
“The board is doing away with that spending and cutting $8 million used to pay law enforcement officers in off-duty shifts, saying the cost of fighting Disney in court has caused it to have to find money in other places,” the story said.
Disney previously filed a lawsuit in April after DeSantis’ appointed board overseeing Walt Disney World voted to nullify last-minute, far-reaching agreements over the Central Florida district.
The company previously alleged that the governor-appointed board is engaging in a “targeted campaign of government retaliation” that would threaten “Disney’s business operations, jeopardizes its economic future in the region, and violates its constitutional rights.”
DeSantis’ office previously responded, saying Disney has no “legal right” to “operate its own government or maintain special privileges not held by other businesses in the state.”
