TIERRA VERDE, FL - Jack Parker concedes he and his island neighbors would rather not be in this fight.

But as St. Petersburg moves to annex a piece of their island community, opening the door to plans for a high-rise resort, Parker and the Tierra Verde Community Association are gathering forces.

Their strategy: incorporate Tierra Verde as an independent town, the 25th municipality in Pinellas. Only three other counties among Florida’s 67 counties have more – Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward. Hillsborough, four times the area of Pinellas, has just three.  read more