GREENFIELD — Precinct 3 Councilor Virginia “Ginny” DeSorgher has announced she is running for mayor in the upcoming election, making her the first candidate who has officially announced their candidacy.

“Greenfield is at a turning point,” DeSorgher said in a statement. “We are still a young city and we’ve had our growing pains. Of course we have challenges like any city, but we have so many strengths here. People want to live in a city that’s affordable and safe and fun, a city they can be proud of. I am committed to being a mayor for all of us, and bringing people together to solve problems and make sure Greenfield is that city we’re all proud of.”

DeSorgher, who was elected to City Council in November 2019 and currently serves as chair of the Ways and Means Committee, said she began considering a mayoral run in September 2022. The election is set for Nov. 7.

“It’s time for a change,” DeSorgher said in a phone interview.

Contacted Wednesday, Mayor Roxann Wedegartner, who took office in January 2020, said she is giving a second mayoral run “a lot of thought” but is not ready to announce a decision.

The public is invited to DeSorgher’s formal announcement on the Greenfield Common on Thursday, March 23, at 4:30 p.m.

“I’m doing it for the people of Greenfield,” she said of her mayoral run. “It’s for them.”

DeSorgher, who is now retired, spent 30 years as a nurse, including managing the Emergency Department at MetroWest Medical Center in Natick. She was a member of the Planning Board for seven years and has been involved with various local boards, including the Commission on Disability Access, the Affordable Housing Committee and the Greenfield Democratic Town Committee. She was also previously part of the YMCA board of directors and Baystate Franklin Auxiliary, and served as a Planning Board representative for the Franklin Regional Council of Governments (FRCOG).

DeSorgher has been particularly active over the past year in the conversation around the former Lunt Silversmiths property, where concerns have been raised about the status of the site’s environmental cleanup. DeSorgher brought the issue forward in 2021 when the property was brought before the City Council to declare it as surplus and authorize the sale of it. In particular, there is concern about contamination levels of trichloroethylene, or TCE, a synthetic solvent that can cause adverse health effects.

“I love Greenfield. I’ve been proud to serve on the Planning Board and City Council over the past 10 years, and I’m excited for this next challenge,” DeSorgher said in a statement. “Greenfield needs a mayor who will respect and listen to her constituents, consider all points of view and work to do what’s best for the whole community.”

Reporter Mary Byrne can be reached at mbyrne@recorder.com or 413-930-4429. Twitter: @MaryEByrne.

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