A Disney property tax dispute in Central Florida has expanded into a broader community debate involving Walt Disney World employees, teachers, and local officials.
The dispute centers on lawsuits filed by Walt Disney World challenging property tax assessments from Orange County. Disney argues that some assessments placed values on its properties that exceed their market value and do not follow Florida appraisal requirements.
Labor groups representing Disney employees and members of the Orange County Classroom Teachers Association have criticized the lawsuits. They argue that successful challenges could reduce tax revenue available for public services, including education.
Disney’s Hollywood Studios, “Looking down Hollywood Blvd., a perfect illusion of the Golden Age of Hollywood … except, y’know, for the giant Mickey Sorcerer Hat” Lake Buena Vista. Photo Credit: Flickr user: Dave Hill and Margie Kleerup, aka Flickr user “The Consortium” Centennial, Colorado https://www.flickr.com/people/the-consortium/, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons…