Credit: Inside the MagicWith the Florida Legislative session due to start in less than two weeks, senators and representatives all over the state have begun filing bills for consideration this year. Then there are the bills that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis wants to see passed in his second-to-last legislative session before leaving office at the end of 2026.
This year, DeSantis wanted a massive crackdown on undocumented immigrants in the state. However, the legislature bucked DeSantis’ demands, and the two sides ultimately settled on a softer immigration bill.
That could be a sign of things to come as the legislature fights back against a term-limited governor. However, DeSantis’ latest test balloon seems to be something that both he and the legislature can agree on.
This week, a social media user on X posted that the state needs to get rid of its property taxes, to which DeSantis responded, “I agree.” Later, he would post:
Property taxes are local, not state. So we’d need to do a constitutional amendment (requires 60% of voters to approve) to eliminate them (which I would support) or even to reform/lower them… We should put the boldest amendment on the ballot that has a chance of getting that 60%… I agree that taxing land/property is the more oppressive and ineffective form of taxation…
Property taxes are local, not state. So we’d need to do a constitutional amendment (requires 60% of voters to approve) to eliminate them (which I would support) or even to reform/lower them…
We should put the boldest amendment on the ballot that has a chance of getting that… https://t.co/WpOQmjNl0X
— Ron DeSantis (@GovRonDeSantis) February 13, 2025
While this would be a windfall for many of the state’s wealthiest landowners, it would be especially beneficial to The Walt Disney Company. Disney owns 43 square miles in Central Florida and collects more than $1.2 billion in taxes every year.
On Disney World’s four theme parks, Disney pays nearly $60 million in property taxes to Orange and Osceola Counties. Disney World also pays millions in property taxes on its hotels, restaurants, and water parks, with the Beach and Yacht Club Hotels costing Disney the most at nearly $10 million.
Despite DeSantis’s support, this would have a devastating effect on Orange and Osceola County schools. Orange County Schools have an annual budget of $333 million, of which 10 percent comes from property taxes, while Osceola County, which is smaller, relies on property taxes for a “significant” amount of its school budget.
However, this process is much more complicated than just allowing Disney World and other taxpayers to stop paying. It would require a change to the Florida State Constitution, which many counties would fight against.
This could be a significant victory for Disney World, especially as expansion plans start to ramp up. For DeSantis, it could be his final legislative win as governor.
It appears that Florida’s governor and the state’s largest single-site employer are back on the same page.