Five candidates will compete for three Key Biscayne Village Council seats Nov. 3, and stormwater resilience dominates the conversation.

As we reported Aug. 21, the qualifying window closed at noon Aug. 20 with two incumbents, a former councilman and two newcomers on the ballot. The field is set. Here’s what the record shows so far about each candidate’s priorities.

The incumbents

Vice Mayor Oscar Sardiñas, first elected in 2022, told Islander News that education, stormwater resilience and advisory boards top his list. He also flagged the Bear Cut Bridge, the Shoreline Project and the Rickenbacker corridor as projects requiring close attention.

“Tax pressure and the homestead exemption changes are going to be front and center, too; that affects every family on this island,” Sardiñas said.

That concern ties directly to Florida’s statewide Amendment 3, which, if approved, would increase the homestead exemption for non-school property taxes from $50,000 to $150,000 in 2027 and $250,000 in 2028. Key Biscayne voters will see it on the same ballot.

Councilman Fernando Vazquez, who campaigned four years ago as “your flood control engineer,” cast the deciding vote to end the village’s Big Dig stormwater project. His stated priorities this cycle include water quality and discharges into Biscayne Bay. Islander News has not yet published his full candidate profile.

The former councilman

Luis “Lucho” de la Cruz, a practicing attorney who served on the council from 2014 to 2018, is running again after an eight-year absence. In an Aug. 7 interview with Key Biscayne Portal, de la Cruz said he first raised concerns about the island’s stormwater system during his first month in office in 2014, when an inspection found more than 75% of catch basins were not functioning.

De la Cruz, who has lived in the Key Biscayne area for more than 50 years, said Mayor-elect Brett Moss was a deciding factor in his return. He said he would not have run for council if Moss were not going to be mayor.

The newcomers

Claire Amerena London has never held elective office but has been active in village improvement groups, including one that helped transform the council chambers into a theater, the Key Biscayne Film Festival and the Dog Park. Her stated priority is undergrounding utilities. She is married to outgoing Councilman Ed London, who is term-limited after eight years.

Silvia Tarafa, a longtime educator and school administrator on the island, is the field’s only candidate without a prior council connection. Her specific platform has not yet been published.

What else is on the ballot

Beyond the council race, voters will decide a local charter amendment requiring voter approval for stormwater or flood-prevention projects estimated to exceed $50 million over three fiscal years. The council placed that measure on the Nov. 3 ballot at a special meeting July 7 after a citizen petition under Section 6.02 of the Village Charter.

Moss ran unopposed for mayor and will take office alongside the three winning council members in November.

What’s next

A candidate debate co-hosted by the Key Biscayne Chamber of Commerce and Islander News is set for Thursday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m. in the council chambers. Steven V. Moll, associate professor and vice provost emeritus at FIU’s Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, will moderate. Islander News will publish candidate profiles on London, Tarafa and Vazquez in upcoming issues and will run “In My Own Words” candidate statements in its Sept. 9 issue.

The voter-registration deadline is Oct. 5. Residents can visit GoVoteMiami.org for more information.