Norwich — City Council President Pro Tempore and former Mayor Peter Nystrom will announce Saturday that he'll be seeking the Republican nomination to run for mayor this fall.

In his announcement planned for 1:30 p.m. Saturday outside City Hall, Nystrom will become the first candidate to officially enter the race.

Nystrom, 60, a longtime politician and GOP party leader in Norwich, said he will run on a platform to “restore common sense and fiscal responsibility” to the city. Nystrom led a slate of Republicans who ran on that pledge in 2015 and swept majority control of the City Council, Board of Education and the city treasurer position for the first time in decades in the heavily Democratic city.

“The last municipal election saw a dramatic change in structure of local government,” Nystrom said in a written speech he plans to give Saturday. “As a result of that, last year’s budget process was focused on reducing spending and reducing taxes. Continued failure on the part of Governor (Dannel P.) Malloy and state government is the only reason why we didn’t see an immediate reduction in taxes. Last minute cuts in state aid created by Malloy’s shenanigans eliminated tax savings for Norwich businesses and taxpayers.”

Current Democratic Mayor Deberey Hinchey announced last week that she would not seek a second four-year term. Hinchey defeated then-incumbent Mayor Nystrom by 218 votes in 2013.

Hinchey recently was found in violation of the city ethics code for her participation in a controversial trip to the Kentucky Derby hosted by the Connecticut Municipal Electric Energy Cooperative for dozens of cooperative officials and invited guests. The Ethics Commission recommends she reimburse the city $1,945 for 25 percent of the cost of her trip. The commission also recommends that four Norwich Public Utilities officials reimburse part of all the cost of their trips, suggesting the money go into a fund that helps people in Norwich who are struggling financially.

Nystrom said the Kentucky Derby controversy is another reason he is running for mayor, saying the Ethics Commission recommendations "fell short" and trip participants should pay back the entire cost of the trips.

Nystrom said he is “encouraged” by the recent focus of city government under new City Manager John Salomone to reduce government costs and explore possible consolidations, and would continue to look for cost savings, try to expand the use of historic tax credits to revitalize downtown and “restore confidence” in city government.

Nystrom has a long political career in Norwich dating back to the early 1980s, when he served on the City Council. He then was elected as the 46th District state representative, a position he held for 18 years before leaving the seat in 2002 in an unsuccessful challenge against popular 19th District Democratic state Sen. Edith Prague.

Nystrom returned to the City Council to fill a vacancy in 2009, and later that year ran and won the mayoral seat for a four-year term. In between, he served for a time as chairman of the Republican Town Committee.

c.bessette@theday.com