Springfield resident and former bakery owner Salvatore Circosta has confirmed his campaign for mayor in a press release issued earlier today. Touting his community outreach while running his bakery & cafe at the X, the release said he would make his formal announcement Thursday at noon from his family home on Burlington Street followed by a kickoff party at the Student Prince. WMassP&I previously reported Circosta’s planned run last week.

“It’s clear that the time for change has come,” Circosta said in his release before claiming conditions have deteriorated under Mayor Domenic Sarno’s administration. “They deserve better from their government.”

Circosta is not the first challenger to three-term incumbent Domenic Sarno this year. Johnnie Ray McKnight, an educator in the city, announced his bid last year. Sarno, who was first elected in 2007 and was reelected in 2009 and 2011 (when mayoral terms became four years), is widely expected to run for reelection. While the mayor has not made his reelection plans public, a series of events including MGM’s groundbreaking, his “Vision 2017” presentation and others appear to be a build-up to a formal launch.

Sarno’s website shows no apparent updates since his 2011 reelection campaign and his campaign has no apparent social media presence.