Meet the Candidate: Brenda Moiso

The non-partisan municipal election on May 10 will decide the four ward seats on the seven-member Ocean City Council. The winners will serve four-year terms.

Ocean City Patch asked each candidate to complete a questionnaire outlining biographical information, their platform and their stands on a handful of issues.

This week, Patch will run profiles of all the candidates who responded, beginning with the Fourth Ward, and proceeding in alphabetical order.

Profiles are presented here in the same format as the questionnaires given to the candidates. There were no further instructions, and none of the responses has been edited (beyond basic proofreading and formatting). Readers can make their own judgments on how the candidates did or didn't answer the questions.

Up next: Brenda Moiso

Why are you running?

I am running for the Fourth Ward council seat to give the taxpayers a strong, independent voice. I believe that I will be an accountable and effective leader for the Fourth Ward. I'm a good listener, I do my homework and I answer to no one except my constituents.

What do you feel are the most pressing issues?

Flooding, drainage, roads and alley conditions. We need to have a long-range plan to address back bay tidal flooding, which will require Ocean City to reach out to the appropriate State and Federal agencies. Climate change and rising sea levels are not just happening in Ocean City. I believe that unless we plan for the future, we will not have an Ocean City to hand down to our children and grandchildren.

What changes would you make to what the current council is doing?

From an outsider's perspective, it appears as though the city either does not have a master plan for growth or is not adhering to the one it has. I have worked on two School District Strategic Plans with great success. The strategic plan for the school district drove decision making, just like the master plan for the city should drive growth decision making with council, the administration and the local zoning and planning boards. I believe we need to step back and take a look at this before any more large development projects are given the go-ahead. I am very concerned about the multi-story development project that has been proposed for the large lot across the street from the Flanders. A few years ago, the city undertook the acquisition of existing parking lots that were in the boardwalk zone. That acquisition to preserve parking and open space appears to be stopped. I would like to see the city re-visit that effort.

The other issue is one that I have heard repeatedly is the fact that the public perceives council as arrogant and not caring. This is troubling. City Council members should be receptive and accountable to the taxpayers who put them into office.

What do you bring to council that no one else can bring, i.e. strengths, experience, etc.?

My nine years of experience on the school board make me uniquely qualified for council. I have had first hand experience with multi-million dollar budgets. During my service, we were able to keep the tax rate down and save money for future capital projects at the same time. I was instrumental in negotiating contracts with the support staff and the teaching staff which resulted in greater savings to the taxpayer while preserving programs and services to the kids. I also held firm on the continuation of employee contributions to their health benefits.

While on the School Board, I gained valuable experience in many different areas, including financial and capital planning, working with state agencies, and major infrastructure remediation that was finished on time and on budget.

I have always been a strong, independent voice for the schoolchildren and taxpayers of Ocean City, but I was also able to build a coalition on the board to get things done. One person cannot make a difference by themselves, it takes a team; a team working together towards a common goal, respecting each other's opinions and coming to a decision that is best for the taxpayers of the City of Ocean City.

I have no ties to building trades or real estate businesses in Ocean City. I can be completely objective. I do my homework before meetings and I listen to my constituents.

What offices have you held/run for in the past?

I served on the Ocean City School Board for nine years, the last two years as President.

Personal Background

I have been an Ocean City resident for 32 years. I am married with two adult children. My husband and I own and operate two Philly Pretzel Factories - one seasonally on the boardwalk and the other year round in Somers Point.