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Key Biscayne Council Member Brett Moss said Friday he has decided to run for mayor in November, a move that will require him to resign from his current position later this year. 

Moss said the primary job of mayor is to build consensus, something he says this Council has achieved through a budget and administration that is actively planning many public works projects. 

“I think it’s very important for the mayor to do that,” Moss said. “What I like right now is that we have an excellent team. We have the right people in place, I have complete confidence in our manager. “ 

Moss, who was the top vote getter in a field of ten council candidates in 2020, said he has been discussing the move with family, friends and even potential rivals for some time, but plans on making a formal announcement in the next two weeks. 

An architect, Moss contributed heavily to a rewrite of the island’s zoning code to make future construction more resilient to sea level rise. During the fight over a $100 million resilience bond, Moss made the rounds with a detailed Powerpoint presentation analyzing the measure, credited at the time for helping sway public opinion in favor of the bond authorization. 

At least two other prominent Key Biscayne residents confirmed Friday they are also exploring a possible mayoral bid.  One was former Council Member Katie Petros, who declined to run for re-election in 2020. Petros had praise for Moss, but said the entry of other candidates wouldn’t impact her decision. “That would be a decision I would make on my own regardless of the field,” she said.

Fausto Gomez, a former lobbyist and head of a condominium group also said Friday he is weighing a bid for mayor. He has increased his public profile of late, especially on matters related to the Rickenbacker Causeway. He declined to specify any timetable about when he might make a decision, but also said his decision would not depend on who else might be running. 

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Several Village leaders said Joe Rasco, a former Key Biscayne mayor who is now serving on the Charter Review Commission, also was considering a run. Rasco declined to answer the question when asked Friday. 

Moss’ exit from the Council would be required by the new “resign to run” law, which requires officeholders to resign from some state, county, and municipal posts if the terms would overlap, but Moss would not need to make that decision until later this year. A resignation would mean 2022 would be an even bigger local election year, with four council seats and a mayor’s spot all up for election. (Because Moss has more than two years left on his term, a special election would be called to fill the remainder of his term).

Incumbent Council Members Ed London, Luis Lauredo, and Ignacio Segurola’s seats are up in 2022. Incumbent Mayor Davey’s spot is term-limited, but he is technically able to run for Council. 

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Moss said he would be putting out a detailed platform in the coming weeks. 

“We have some big projects ahead of us, some huge projects. I’m still honing that message, he said. “We have a good team. I think we’re going to have an even better team.”

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NOTE – This story was edited to reflect that a special election would be called in the event of Moss resignation.

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.

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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...