In order to run in a specific district, one ISU student relocated just days before officially filing to run for the fourth ward seat of the Ames City Council.

Matt Denner, senior in political science, moved Sept. 15 to 3104 Oakland Road in order to be eligible to compete for the seat. He filed 50 signatures Thursday with the Ames City Clerk’s office, although he was only required to collect 19 to be eligible to run.

Denner said he made the choice to try for the seat because a number of students asked him to run.

“I believe student issues have not been met by some of the current council members,” he said.

Denner will compete against three other candidates for the fourth ward seat: Incumbent Riad Mahayni, 1617 Amherst Dr. ; Joe Paulson, 3213 West St.; and Joseph Viles, 3611 Ross Rd.

Mahayni, professor of community and regional planning, said he heard from his sons, both ISU students, that Denner was interested in running.

“[My sons] speak very highly of him,” Mahayni said.

The fourth ward includes residence halls in Richardson Court Association and Union Drive Association. Denner said the ward is made up of between 50 and 75 percent student residents.

Denner plans to focus on a variety of issues during his campaign, including over-occupancy, economic development and energy use.

Denner said he wants Ames’ energy plan to be forward-looking, and he believes the city needs to move away from the use of the city’s electricity-producing resource recovery plant.

Denner is also concerned with the impact of a new mall in Ames.

“I’m concerned that the city may choose to go ahead and annex land so the new mall could be built,” he said.

Denner said the new mall would be detrimental to city growth and the local economy, as well as costly for students because CyRide routes would have to be revised to support travel to the mall.

Denner said a voice on the City Council will give students a great deal of power, even if it is just one of six votes.

Current problems with the ex officio student member of the City Council is the student cannot vote, Denner said. The person can give input but “has no true power.”

“I believe the reason it doesn’t work is because the ex officio member doesn’t appear to have more power than a individual community member,” he said.

Mahayni said he hopes voters do not vote for a candidate just because of their status as a student.

“I hope students or nonstudents will vote on how people stand on the issues,” Mahayni said. “I don’t want people to vote for me just because I am a professor.”

Paulson, an Ames real estate agent, said in an August interview he believes students may need more of a voice on the City Council.

He would encourage students to get out and vote, he said.

“When I was in college, I voted,” Paulson said. “I wish more [students] would get out there and do it.”

Since Ames is a college town, it is “about the kids,” Paulson said. The city needs to try to keep students, the “best and the brightest,” in Ames.

Viles, associate professor in genetics, development and cell biology, also filed to run for the fourth ward seat Thursday. Viles could not be reached for comment.