Brett Moss, an architect and two-term council member known for his fervent opposition to the Big Dig is running to become Key Biscayne’s next mayor.
Moss filed papers with the Village Clerk’s office last week. He is the only candidate in the race so far.
Moss, 49, is making his second bid for the island’s top job. He briefly ran for mayor in 2022, but withdrew before the filing deadline. In a statement, he said he was running to “preserve our core values” and listed his priorites as the Rickenbacker Causeway and Bear Cut bridge.
“Our Council must always put community preservation, safety, and our unique quality of life first. I will support efforts to stabilize enrollment at our K-8 center, defend our village’s home rule against state-level preemption, and promote our youth programs.” Moss said in a statement.
In his eight years on the council, he developed a reputation for detailed analysis of various village projects, sometimes to the consternation of the administration. He prepared spreadsheets and charts to make his points. But he usually was in the majority on close votes, especially budgets.
Most recently, he was one of a group of residents who successfully pushed the Council to abandon the Big Dig stormwater project. Moss was initially a supporter of the plan to re-plumb the islands’ drainage lines, but when costs doubled, he insisted the Village look at alternatives.
Council Member Brett Moss raises his hand as he demonstrates how flood elevations work during a debate over changes to Key Biscayne’s zoning code, Tues. Oct. 26, 2021. The code incentivizes sustainable adaptations to sea level rise (KBI Photo/Tony Winton)
The Village is now planning to use a less-expensive shallow injection well approach, but the issue of infrastructure spending remains contested and there is likely to be referendum on the November ballot aimed at capping expenditures.
Incumbent Mayor Joe Rasco is term-limited. Three Council seats will also be decided in the November election.
THIS IS A DEVELOPING STORY AND WILL BE UPDATED
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Editor-in-Chief
Tony Winton is the editor-in-chief of the Key Biscayne Independent and president of Miami Fourth Estate, Inc. He worked previously at The Associated Press for three decades winning multiple Edward R. Murrow awards. He was president of the News Media Guild, a journalism union, for 10 years. Born in Chicago, he is a graduate of Columbia University. His interests are photography and technology, sailing, cooking, and science fiction.