Lawsuit filed against DeSantis for dissolving Reedy Creek

The first lawsuit following Gov. Ron DeSantis’ April 21 signing of SB 4-C, which dissolved Disney’s Reedy Creek Improvement District, has been filed.

The lawsuit, filed in federal court by Miami attorney William J. Sanchez, lists the plaintiffs as Osceola County residents Michael Foronda, Eduardo Foronda and Leslie Foronda, and Vivian Gorsky, whom the suit states lives in Orange County. Defendants are DeSantis, Florida Secretary of State Laurel Lee, and Florida Department of Revenue Executive Director Jim Zingale.

The Orange County Property Appraiser website produces no records of property ownership by anyone named Vivian Gorsky, and the suit does not include an address. Furthermore, a search of that name reveals no profiles on social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter or Instagram. In addition, a search on whitepages.com produces no one by that name. It does return a Vivian Gorski (note spelling) in Miami. 

“Plaintiff Vivian Gorsky is a Florida resident and currently resides in Orange County, Independence, Florida,” the suit states.

A search on SearchPeopleFree.com produced a listing for a Vivian Gorski, who has a current address in Independence. Associated with that name is a Vivian Gonzalez that also returns the same address in Independence.

The Observer has contacted Sanchez’s office for clarification regarding this plaintiff's residency, identity and name spelling. Check back for updates.

The 11-page suit asks that SB 4-C be declared unconstitutional and in “direct violation of a written statutory commitment Florida entered into in 1967 when it agreed to form the Reedy Creek Improvement District.”

The suit in its first count states Florida violated an agreement that forbids it from dissolving the district until the district’s bond obligations — which total $1 billion to $2 billion — are paid.

In the second count, the bill states SB 4-C violates Florida taxpayers’ federal constitutional rights, as well as rights under the Florida Bill of Rights for Taxpayers.

“The Florida statute holds that Florida taxpayers have the right to a fair and consistent application of the tax laws of the state by the Department of Revenue,” the suit states.

“The bill at issue calls to [sic] serious question the proper application of tax laws to homeowners and other taxpayers in the Orlando area and very possibly other state of Florida taxpayers. Having signed this bill, specifically intended to remove Disney’s special tax status, the state’s action will unquestionably infringe upon Florida taxpayer’s [sic] rights as established in Florida statute section 213.015.”

In its third count, the suit alleges SB 4-C violates Disney’s First Amendment Rights. It states the bill was in direct response to Disney’s opposition to HB 1557, the Parental Rights in Education bill DeSantis signed in March.

According to his website, Sanches specializes in all areas of commercial, international and immigration law. Sanchez — a Democrat — also is a candidate for the U.S. Senate.