CORY LAKE ISLES - Homeowners rebelled Thursday night against a proposed budget that would increase their community development district assessments by $540 next year. "I think the increase in fees, in this economy, is unacceptable," George Castillo said. "Every homeowner here is outraged." Earlier this month, the CDD board released its proposed 2009 budget that was nearly $600,000 more than the current budget. Security costs would go up 50 percent because of the board's new contract with Wackenhut. The extra $165,000 buys more diligent gate officers, a sophisticated computer and camera system, and nightly patrols. ...more

June 19, 2008

Homeowners in this New Tampa gated community long have said they weren't getting first-rate service from developer Gene Thomason. ...more

June 14, 2008

CORY LAKE ISLES - The Cory Lake Isles Property Owners Association and residents who are suing it are headed back to court June 24. Developer Gene Thomason turned over the financial records of Cory Lakes Limited, which billed homeowners for management and security services for the gated New Tampa community. But lawyer Mark Basurto, who represents the seven homeowners who are suing over access to the records, said the documents raised more questions than they answered. ...more

June 13, 2008

CORY LAKE ISLES - Homeowners in this New Tampa gated community often complained that they weren't getting first-rate service from developer Gene Thomason. As the neighborhood weans itself from Thomason and his all-everything company, Cory Lakes Limited, it's learning that first-rate service will cost a hefty chunk of change. Cory Lake Isles homeowners will face a 34 percent increase in their assessments in the next fiscal year. That's a difference of $540 per household. ...more

June 10, 2008

Discussion about putting the kibosh on New Tampa's east-west toll road dominated Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio's transportation summit Monday, but it wasn't the only news to come out of the regional roundtable. ...more

May 10, 2008

NEW TAMPA - Discussion about putting the kibosh on New Tampa's east-west toll road dominated Tampa Mayor Pam Iorio's transportation summit Monday, but it wasn't the only news to come out of the regional round table. And the $150 million toll road, which would connect Tampa Palms to Interstate 275, wasn't the only project to suffer from lack of funding. Officials from Hillsborough and Pasco counties, Tampa and the Florida Department of Transportation took turns giving updates on road projects in various stages of development. ...more

May 7, 2008

With excitement building toward a presidential election in fall, community development district races usually are little more than an afterthought. ...more

February 25, 2008

NEW TAMPA - With so much excitement building toward a presidential election in the fall, community development district races usually are little more than an afterthought. That's not so in New Tampa, where homeowners in Live Oak Preserve and Cory Lake Isles will choose their own board supervisors for the first time. ...more

February 25, 2008

If last week's court hearing were a high-stakes game of chicken, developer Gene Thomason waited until the last moment to back down. ...more

January 30, 2008

CORY LAKE ISLES - If Wednesday's court hearing were a high-stakes game of chicken, developer Gene Thomason waited until the last moment to back down. Just minutes before Cory Lake Isles homeowners were going to ask the court to force Thomason to open his company books, Thomason's legal team agreed to turn over the records in 60 days. ...more

January 25, 2008