Key Biscayne votes to spend $100 million to protect itself from sea-level rise
This election season in Key Biscayne, it all came down to a $100 million bond meant to help the vulnerable island community protect sinking property values in the face of rising seas.
On election night, voters soundly approved the measure, which some critics called a “blank check.” They also selected three new council members, all of whom supported the bond, from a crowded field of 10 candidates.
With all votes counted Tuesday evening, two incumbents — Allison McCormick and Brett Moss — as well as two-time village mayor Franklin Caplan were in the lead for the unpaid spots on the seven-member council.
McCormick, 49, previously served as vice mayor in 2018 and said her passion for quality public schools sets her apart from her competitors. She told the Miami Herald she was “never prouder to be a Key Biscayner,” but said she was waiting for official word before declaring victory.
“Our community ignored the distractions and reaffirmed its commitment to protecting island paradise,” she said. “Can’t wait to get back to work.”
The other candidates with a visible lead Tuesday evening were Frank Caplan, a 65-year-old attorney, and 41-year-old Brett Moss, the village’s current vice mayor. Neither responded to a request for comment.
The bond faced strong headwinds leading up to the election, including a lawsuit and a Change.org petition against it.
The lawsuit challenged specific nuances of the referendum, including whether it explained the purpose of the money well enough on the ballot. David Winker, who brought the lawsuit against the referendum on behalf of Village resident Gustavo Tellaz, said despite the apparent victory for the bond issue, he believes a judge will side with his client and invalidate the result.
“It is a shame that this contentious process has divided the Village because we believe in the end the courts will agree with us that the referendum violates the Village Charter and Florida law and throw out this result,” he wrote in an email.
Village officials said the bond is meant to create a stable pot of money for large-scale resilience projects like raising roads, building an offshore breakwater to protect the beach and undergrounding powerlines.
The island community is particularly vulnerable to the two feet of sea level rise expected by 2060, as well as storm surge from hurricanes strengthened by climate change. A 2017 vulnerability study found that “by 2045, if no adaptation steps are taken, most roads within the village will experience tidal flooding during king tides, as will many low-lying residential and commercial properties.”
But the main concern in the village is property values. They’ve dropped nearly 5% in three years, and although no one has directly linked it to sea level rise, multiple studies indicate that climate change risk is affecting property values in Miami-Dade County.
Correction: A previous version of the story incorrectly said candidate Jennifer Allegra started the Change.org petition against the bond. She merely signed it.
This story was originally published November 3, 2020 at 9:22 PM.
