Celebration exploring incorporation

[ILOVEDISNEY]

Residents of Celebration, the town founded by Disney and originally touted as a fulfillment of Walt Disney's dream of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow before being sold off, are spending about $200,000 to a University of Central Florida professor to conduct a study to determine whether or not the community will be better off if it incorporates as a city. The study is being funded by approximately 30 residents, who are contributing $7,000 each.

The community of 8,500 residents is continuing to grow, with population up from 8,000 last year and 2,500 back in 1999. Regardless of the decision on incorporation, the community does not want to lose its small-town feel.

Source: www.mouseplanet.com

 

[AndyP]

Interesting, thanks for the info. Are they putting a limit on the population or just waiting til they run out of space?

 

[tigsmom]

Interesting. By incorporating as a city they are then eligible for differents types of aid & grants. They can have their own school district and set taxes.
We have a few small towns here that are looking into incorporating as a means of keeping another village from annexing property and expanding. They can then set the zoning to prohibit high density housing (which the village is famous for even though they don't have the services to support it).

 

[ILOVEDISNEY]

Interesting, thanks for the info. Are they putting a limit on the population or just waiting til they run out of space?

I have no idea about population limits, but I do think this is just a start to another exclusive Florida "gated" community for millionaires only. The whitewashed (or is it green?) fence will be replaced with huge red brick walls and guard stations at every entrance. I have seen it everywhere in Florida. With city planning you can limit the number of homes, and more importantly, establish guidelines as to what types of housing are "acceptable" and what the least expensive home could cost. That in turn would limit "who" could live in Celebration. As far as size goes, I would think the more wealthy people you could have that would ease the tax burden for water, sewage, electricity and road maintenance for the residents.

My point was that Walt's last and biggest dream is dead now. Uncle Walt wanted EPCOT to be a place where all races, religions, and social classes could live and work together in an almost utopia kind of city. As one of the other threads have asked, "Will there ever be another WED?" The answer is no, and there will never be a real EPCOT.

 

[TravisMT81]

they really need this it seems that osceola county controls this town.

 

[Bagheera]

Residents of Celebration, the town founded by Disney and originally touted as a fulfillment of Walt Disney's dream of an Experimental Prototype Community of Tomorrow before being sold off, are spending about $200,000 to a University of Central Florida professor to conduct a study to determine whether or not the community will be better off if it incorporates as a city. The study is being funded by approximately 30 residents, who are contributing $7,000 each.

The community of 8,500 residents is continuing to grow, with population up from 8,000 last year and 2,500 back in 1999. Regardless of the decision on incorporation, the community does not want to lose its small-town feel.

And for those that were wondering, that was a direct lift from this week's WDW Update on MousePlanet.com

 

[Rcoaster809]

I was just wondering if Celebration was built on part of the origional land that was purchased by Walt Disney. If it is, then I truely do believe this is wrong. Otherwise, I just shake my head and am ashamed of what is happening.

 

[DarkMeasures]

8,000. That is more than 1/3 of Epcots planned population.

That means 12,000 people and Celebration will be the same size as the planned Epcot.

 

[ILOVEDISNEY]

And for those that were wondering, that was a direct lift from this week's WDW Update on MousePlanet.com

Sorry, I didn't know it was copywrited material. You will note I have amended the thread.

Everytime I access your site I am a winner of a WDW vacation from DirecTV. It always has the same number. I love www.mouseplanet.com too.

 

[Phosphate]

I just wanted to clear up a few misconceptions I see on this thread, though I am no where near an expert in incorporation of towns, I was living in the town of Weston, FL, a "planned" community which is located the furthest West you could go in Broward County, when they incorporated. I also don't mean to step on anyone's toe's and do apologize if I do.

Florida is a unique state(do not know how many are like this) as its school disctrics are run by the county no matter if you are considered a city or not. So Celebration high school will still be the same Celebration high school with the same C grade if they incorporate or not.

ILoveDisney you mentioned that as soon as they would incorporate they would immediatly build gates all around the community to keep people out, where Celebration is I believe that is highly unlikely, as it stands now they could gate off certain neighberhoods, but not the whole town. As there are schools, shopping, and a toll road that runs thru the town; gating the whole town would never happen. Also, I believe, keeping people out of the whole town is a form of segration and would get the town in serious trouble if the whole town was closed off.

Also you said that the town would regulate what type of houses you could build and etc. Well to my knowledge Celebration has a property management agency that already dictates what can be built, what color your house can be painted, where you can park your cars, etc. And the last time I looked alot of the houses for sale looked like you need to be making a bit of money in order to afford the house.

Again sorry if I stepped on anyones toes, I could be totally wrong on the last 2 points.

Now for my 2 cents, I don't believe Celebration, in its current capacity, will incorporate. The town is too small, in fact I think FL has a minimum population to incorpoate, the issue didn't even get on the ballot for Weston until the pop. had reached 40k+. Even if FL didn't have a minimum pop, I don't think that Celebration's taxes would cover the town's expenses. It will probably be quite a few years before we hear of this issue again.

Phosphate

 

[ILOVEDISNEY]

I just wanted to clear up a few misconceptions I see on this thread, though I am no where near an expert in incorporation of towns, I was living in the town of Weston, FL, a "planned" community which is located the furthest West you could go in Broward County, when they incorporated. I also don't mean to step on anyone's toe's and do apologize if I do.

Florida is a unique state(do not know how many are like this) as its school disctrics are run by the county no matter if you are considered a city or not. So Celebration high school will still be the same Celebration high school with the same C grade if they incorporate or not.

ILoveDisney you mentioned that as soon as they would incorporate they would immediatly build gates all around the community to keep people out, where Celebration is I believe that is highly unlikely, as it stands now they could gate off certain neighberhoods, but not the whole town. As there are schools, shopping, and a toll road that runs thru the town; gating the whole town would never happen. Also, I believe, keeping people out of the whole town is a form of segration and would get the town in serious trouble if the whole town was closed off.

Also you said that the town would regulate what type of houses you could build and etc. Well to my knowledge Celebration has a property management agency that already dictates what can be built, what color your house can be painted, where you can park your cars, etc. And the last time I looked alot of the houses for sale looked like you need to be making a bit of money in order to afford the house.

Again sorry if I stepped on anyones toes, I could be totally wrong on the last 2 points.

Now for my 2 cents, I don't believe Celebration, in its current capacity, will incorporate. The town is too small, in fact I think FL has a minimum population to incorpoate, the issue didn't even get on the ballot for Weston until the pop. had reached 40k+. Even if FL didn't have a minimum pop, I don't think that Celebration's taxes would cover the town's expenses. It will probably be quite a few years before we hear of this issue again.

Phosphate

Thanx for the info. My main point from the article I copied from www.mouseplanet.com was that Uncle Walt's dream of EPCOT was now over, done, fini, el fin, the end. My interest as to incorporation was piqued by the owners that came up with $7,000 each. That to me is a lot of money. Disney's Celebration was to have included all comers as I have stated. I guess it will not end that way.

I do not understand what a "C" school is. Could you explain?

 

[tigsmom]

...
Florida is a unique state(do not know how many are like this) as its school disctrics are run by the county no matter if you are considered a city or not. So Celebration high school will still be the same Celebration high school with the same C grade if they incorporate or not.

Phosphate

Guess Florida is alot different from NY. The cities run their own schools ,but the towns have unified or centralized districts. I'm in a district made up from 2 towns & the villages that are within those towns. We don't classify schools with letters, but they are evaluated yearly based on test scores...the higher the percentage of passing the better, of course.

And don't worry about stepping on toes...we ask, we answer, we learn. :wave:

 

[Phosphate]

I do not understand what a "C" school is. Could you explain?

Be glad to, all public schools in Florida must take the FCAT, a standardized test which has a reading, writing and math section, when all the tests are said and down and graded schools are then given a letter grade(A-F) to reflect the score of their students. the grades reflect funding by the state. If you are an A school you get a ton of funding and if you are an F school you get your funding cut severly. While I believe that is a weird way to judge how to fund schools, that is for another thread on another board. The original Celebration school that housed K-12 was given A's for the most part since it has opened. Since Celebration High School has opened the grade of the High School has been a C.

Celebration ELementary School http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/fl/2206/

Celebration High
http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/fl/5295/

I will add that I believe that 7k would have been better served if donated to a charity then into some professors pockets.

Like to add one more thing from what I have heard Osceola County Schools in general are some of the worst in the state of Florida.

 

[tigsmom]

Be glad to, all public schools in Florida must take the FCAT, a standardized test which has a reading, writing and math section, when all the tests are said and down and graded schools are then given a letter grade(A-F) to reflect the score of their students. the grades reflect funding by the state. If you are an A school you get a ton of funding and if you are an F school you get your funding cut severly. While I believe that is a weird way to judge how to fund schools, that is for another thread on another board. The original Celebration school that housed K-12 was given A's for the most part since it has opened. Since Celebration High School has opened the grade of the High School has been a C.

Celebration ELementary School http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/fl/2206/

Celebration High
http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/fl/5295/

I will add that I believe that 7k would have been better served if donated to a charity then into some professors pockets.

Like to add one more thing from what I have heard Osceola County Schools in general are some of the worst in the state of Florida.

Thanks for the explanation. While I hate to pay thousands of dollars every year in school taxes I think its a better way of funding education.

 

[Phosphate]

Thanks for the explanation. While I hate to pay thousands of dollars every year in school taxes I think its a better way of funding education.

Let me clarify schools still recieve funding thru taxes, but what grade they get on these FCAT scores determines what state assistance is handed down to them. For instance the state lottery has http://www.flalottery.com/lottery/edu/edu.html given a ton of money to the Florida Education department, what grade they get on the FCAT's determine how much of that money from the lottery they will end up recieving. That's one example there are other places money comes from.

Just want to add my parents were looking at a job in Thomkins County(NY)and were flabbergasted at the taxes they would incur from living there. I don't remember exactly what they were but for instance sales tax here is 6.5% to 7% and most homes you don't have to pay property tax after a certain amount, something called a homestead exemption lets you off of that. Not sure of the specifics as my dad deals with the taxes. Florida gets a TON of money from the travel industry

 

[tigsmom]

We pay town taxes, school taxes, and in some places fire district taxes (I pay this). These are based on my property value and amount to thousands of dollars a year. Then there is the County & State sales taxes on purchases.

The monies collected are disbursed to the proper agencies...the quality of the school district has nothing to do with how much money they get, the value of the properties located within its boundries does.

Tompkins County is about 5 hours Northwest of me, in the Finger Lakes Region. Very nice.

 

[ILOVEDISNEY]

Be glad to, all public schools in Florida must take the FCAT, a standardized test which has a reading, writing and math section, when all the tests are said and down and graded schools are then given a letter grade(A-F) to reflect the score of their students. the grades reflect funding by the state. If you are an A school you get a ton of funding and if you are an F school you get your funding cut severly. While I believe that is a weird way to judge how to fund schools, that is for another thread on another board. The original Celebration school that housed K-12 was given A's for the most part since it has opened. Since Celebration High School has opened the grade of the High School has been a C.

Celebration ELementary School http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/fl/2206/

Celebration High
http://www.greatschools.net/modperl/browse_school/fl/5295/

I will add that I believe that 7k would have been better served if donated to a charity then into some professors pockets.

Like to add one more thing from what I have heard Osceola County Schools in general are some of the worst in the state of Florida.

Indiana, where I used to live, now is undergoing a similar program to evaluate schools. As a former educator I have some strong opinions about the system and the schools in Indiana. I used to write a column for the local newspaper about the plight of the schools and lack of funding for both students and teachers among other things.

 

[Bagheera]

Sorry, I didn't know it was copywrited material. You will note I have amended the thread.

Everytime I access your site I am a winner of a WDW vacation from DirecTV. It always has the same number. I love www.mouseplanet.com too.

There's nothing wrong with quoting, as long as you attribute your source.

And thanks for your nice words about our site.

 

[paulcmartens]

I honestly think its rude to assume that just because a select group of folks want to incorporate that somehow this is a bad thing.

Celebration has many classes. There are cast members who live here and millionaires.

To assume that somehow wealthy people are against the best wishes of the town is totally silly and bigoted.

There are very few estate homes (a million) here when you look at the big picture. Far more medium costing homes (half a million)

This place is just really well designed and every one wants to keep it that way.

This property was built on Disney land.

You also don't know if that professor wasn't a Stetson university prof (we have an extension here). Its not o.k. to earn a living through research?

Just what is wrong with gates? How are gates evil? If the rich want to isolate themselves...let them, since you don't like them, it keeps them away from you.

I don't mind living in celebration, its more affordable than where I used to live. Granted the average home price here is significantly above national average...its better than living in a zip code who's average home value is 900 k!

Yay!

And let's not forget that america is by global standards I think on the wealthier side isn't it?

How would you like if someone who had less money than you chewed you out and your decision just because you had more money?

Not fair is it.

 

[tigsmom]

Something must have been done right because the same designer is building a "Celebration-like" community in the next town over.