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Board Swayed To Cut Budget

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By LAURA KINSLER

The Tampa Tribune

Published: September 3, 2008

CORY LAKE ISLES - The newest member of the Cory Lake Isles Community Development District board pressured her colleagues Aug. 26 into cutting $515,000 out of a budget that would have raised homeowner assessments more than $1,100 in the next fiscal year.

The adopted budget still raises assessments by $584, which represents a 37 percent increase over the current year's budget.
Madeline Backes, who was appointed to the board in March because of her background in finance, agreed with homeowners that the gated community was paying too much for security services from its new contractor, Wackenhut.

The community sought bids for 24-hour security, and Wackenhut's $442,151 was the highest of the nine bids. The board had budgeted $450,000 for security in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, but Backes persuaded the others to reduce that by $100,000.

"From what I've seen, they do overcharge," Backes said. "I mean, in terms of a budget, what are we doing?"

While the board hasn't awarded a contract, CDD Supervisors Jane Taggart and Suzanne Manzi made it clear they preferred Wackenhut at any cost. "They're second to none," Taggart said.
Manzi said she would be willing take money out of reserves to pay for the most expensive security company. A couple of homeowners spoke in support of Wackenhut, but most of the speakers urged the board to go with a lower bid.

"I think we here in Cory Lake Isles would be happy with some of these companies who are right in the middle," homeowner Tony Ulintz said.
Backes also led the move to reduce the budgeted amounts set aside for litigation costs and landscaping by a combined $450,000. "I'm not looking to cut a few thousand dollars here and there," she said.

The board cut the litigation budget from $500,000 to $150,000 after attorney Mark Straley revised his cost estimate.

The new landscaping budget could accommodate eight of the 10 companies that submitted bids.

"We have to bring that number down," Supervisor Roger Brown said by speakerphone. He wanted to cut another $50,000 from landscaping, but Manzi and Taggart refused.

Developer Gene Thomason's company, Cory Lakes Limited, submitted the second-highest bid at nearly $600,000. Thomason, because of several conflicts of interest, did not participate in the budget discussions or votes.

Backes' approach converted a number of skeptics, who earlier called on the entire board to resign.

"I think Madeline is spot-on," homeowner John Harders said. "She has instilled a lot of trust in the community."

Harders and dozens of other homeowners sported campaign T-shirts supporting the three candidates running to unseat Manzi and Brown.

Reporter Laura Kinsler can be reached at (813) 865-4844 or lkinsler@tampatrib.com.

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