HOBOKEN, NJ — Hoboken First Ward Councilman Michael DeFusco announced Monday that he will run for mayor of Hoboken in the 2017 municipal election on Nov. 7.

In a Monday campaign statement, DeFusco issued a call for upgraded city services and "more proactive planning" from the city's administration. "I know we can be better, faster and more efficient in responding to the critical issues our community faces, and I believe it's time for a change," DeFusco stated, referencing the city's repeated issues with flooding, potholes and water main breaks.

"These issues and many others have largely gone unsolved by our longtime Mayor Dawn Zimmer, who in November will seek re-election to a third term, asking voters to extend her time in office to more than 13 years," DeFusco said. DeFusco, a former Hoboken Zoning Board commissioner, said some of his initiatives as mayor would include a train terminal overhaul to rival Chelsea Market and Reading Terminal, urban wineries and microbreweries in the northwest, and a regional tech hub to be developed in conjunction with Stevens Institute.

DeFusco released the below campaign video on Monday. Don't forget to visit the Patch Hoboken Facebook page here.

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