Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation Tuesday dissolving the Weeki Wachee, also known as “City of Live Mermaids.”
The bill signed by DeSantis to absorb the 13-resident city was overwhelmingly approved by the State House and Senate in March.
State Rep. Blaise Ingoglia, who originally filed the bill, said at several committee presentations that while the city had taxing authority, there was no proof that those who paid taxes to Weeki Wachee received any city benefits in return, according to the Tampa Bay Times.
Ingoglia included a provision in the bill signed Tuesday that “only legitimate debts” would be transferred to Hernando County —this debt amount, which could be as high as $1 million, transferred over to the County from Weeki Wachee is currently unknown.
The Weeki Wachee Springs State Park opened in 1947 and the city’s founding arrived in 1966 as a way to bring more attention to the name and park.
Weeki Wachee’s road signs will come down, but the city’s death will not have a large impact on the park, which along with local addresses will keep the place name Weeki Wachee. Currently, the park is closed due to COVID-19, but the accompanying spring is open for public use.
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This article appears in Jun 4-10, 2020.
