Woodside resident Alayna Van Dervot Wagner is the first candidate to file to run for a seat on the Woodside City Council in November’s election. Wagner filed paperwork Sept. 23 to run for the District 5 seat against Hassan Aburish and said she wants people to “write her name.”

In August, despite all districts ending in a tie, the City Council voted to continue the election to allow voters to have a say in who is elected to the council.

Originally from Auckland, New Zealand, Wagner has lived in Woodside for seven years. She currently serves as Chair of the Environment and Open Space Committee and Vice-Chair of the Climate and Sustainability Committee. Wagner is also CEO of The Big Wild, a nonprofit that uses technology to find solutions to climate change.

She said she was inspired to run for City Council after working closely with Council Member Ned Fluet and watching his success. She understood what someone with her background in natural resources management could bring to the council as a voice for the community.

Wagner has nearly four years of experience on city committees and a passion for sustainability. She has worked with local and national leaders, including the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Bezos Earth Fund, to present actionable plans to address Woodside’s unique challenges.

“Knowing what it means to build a home, how to deal with natural disasters, how to be prepared for emergencies, is essential for almost all the issues and concerns that arise outside of our district,” she said.

Wagner’s campaign focuses on addressing the city’s infrastructure needs, wildfire risk, housing development and disaster drainage. She is passionate about representing District 5 and its “extensive resource issues” of flooding, drainage and wildfires.

If elected to council, she would like to “address city issues in a more timely and fiscally responsible manner.” Wagner noted that some council decisions are made without research and consideration of what is fiscally responsible.

As an environmental activist and candidate, Wagner hopes to bring a different perspective to the council through her background and experience. (Currently, only one of the council’s six members is a woman (Mayor Jenn Wall).)

The write-in nomination period began on September 9 and will end on October 22. Wagner is the only write-in candidate (as of September 24).

For more information about Wager’s campaign, visit wagner4woodside.com.