“I believe we have to get active to change,” Rick Gagliano said.

Gagliano, who ran unsuccessfully for Washington mayor two years ago, is back to try his hand at winning a council seat. He is one of eight candidates seeking a seat on the five-member City Council. The council election is Nov. 8.

There are indications he’s taking his bid seriously.

At last report, Gagliano was the top fundraiser among the eight council office-seekers. As of Oct. 3, he had generated $1,376.59 for his campaign committee, with $500 of that total from his wife, Linda, and $230 in contributions of $50 or less from individuals.

Gagliano is also beating the city’s streets in search of votes, saying he plans to visit 1,600 homes with his wife by Election Day.

As for the top issues facing Washington, he pointed to property taxes and the rates charged by the city’s Washington Electric Utilities.

“These are what I’m going to be really working on,” Gagliano said, later adding, “We have to stop spending to lower taxes.”

Like other council contenders, he would favor ending transfers from the city’s electric fund to its general fund, emphasizing his conviction the budget could be balanced in other ways.

He advocated urging more WEU customers to sign up for the utility’s load-management program, which is designed to reduce users’ electricity costs during peak usage periods.

“Everyone, I think, should be signed up on the load-management program,” he said. “The less we use, the less we have to pay for.”