Luis de la Cruz is running for one of three open seats on the Key Biscayne Village Council on Nov. 3. He goes by "Lucho." De la Cruz is one of five certified candidates in the nonpartisan race, along with Claire London, Fernando Vazquez, Oscar Sardinas and Silvia Tarafa.

De la Cruz served on the council from 2014 to 2018. Asked in our candidate questionnaire what brought him back after eight years, he said: "What I believe is the precarious state of our council and its troubling relationship with the management of the Village. Council has to take back its policy-making function/responsibility."

Candidate information

Residence: De la Cruz has lived in Key Biscayne for more than 50 years, he said in a Miami Herald candidate questionnaire.

Family: "I met my wife, Gloriosa, in Key Biscayne. My two boys, Felipe, 36, and Lucas, 31 are born and raised Key Rats."

Education: "University of Florida Bachelor of Science in Civil Engineering - 1974 … University of Florida - Juris Doctor - 1978."

Occupation: "I am now and have been since 1979, a practicing attorney in Miami-Dade County. Prior to going back to the University of Florida for Law School, I was a general contractor with my Father's development company and a Public Works inspector for the City of Miami."

Party affiliation: "No Party Affiliation."

Family in politics or government: "No."

Experience and public service

De la Cruz said in our questionnaire that he was a council member for the Village of Key Biscayne from 2014 to 2018. He is a practicing attorney at De La Cruz Cutler, according to the Islander News.

Asked what accomplishments show he can handle the job, de la Cruz said in our questionnaire: "My accomplishments in the resiliency and sustainability field during my first term as council member in 2014-18. I have also been a practicing attorney for many years in the real property field which is very relevant to many issues facing Key Biscayne today. I have also run my very successful law practice since 1983."

On the issues

Why he is running: De la Cruz said in our questionnaire: "I have been very involved in local issues as a resident member of the Key Biscayne community and believe there are many things that need change in our Village government. Our most recent council has abdicated the responsibility for establishing policy and the management has taken over this very important responsibility. That all must change."

Stormwater infrastructure: De la Cruz told the Islander News he was the first to point out that the village's stormwater system was not working during his first month on the council in 2014, and that more than 75 percent of catch basins were found to be non-functional. He said he has been critical of the village's handling of stormwater infrastructure since leaving the council.

Rickenbacker Causeway: De la Cruz told the Miami Herald: "Our most pressing issue is the present state of the Rickenbacker Causeway and in particular, the Bear Cut Bridge. We have to work closely with Miami-Dade and city of Miami to reconfigure the Virginia Key portion of the causeway and replace the Bear Cut Bridge, which presents an existential issue in its present condition."

What sets him apart: De la Cruz said in our questionnaire: "I have a lot more experience, institutional knowledge, and decades of leadership in the Village of key Biscayne than any of the candidates. I also have an engineering background and am very well versed in resiliency and sustainability which are very relevant today. We need to stop talking, surveying, studying things to death and start doing what we should have done for many years."

Voters choose up to three candidates on Nov. 3.