Florida's City Of Weeki Wachee, Known For Its Live Mermaids, Dissolved
WEEKI WACHEE (CBSMiami/AP) -- Florida's city of Weeki Wachee was officially founded in 1966 in order to put its famous live mermaid attraction onto maps and road signs, but now the city has been dissolved.
At last count, the city had only 13 residents.
Tuesday, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation dissolving the city, which is located about 50 miles north of Tampa in a state park.
The city was insolvent and offered no visible services to a small business community paying its taxes.
The city's demise will have no real effect on the Weeki Wachee Springs State Park,, officials said.
The mermaids at Weeki Wachee State Park have been a staple of Florida tourism since 1947. Women dressed in fishtails perform underwater shows in the springs while viewed by an audience sitting in a theater on the other side of a glass partition.
The park is currently closed because of coronavirus concerns.
(© Copyright 2020 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)