[B]urlington Mayor Miro Weinberger said Tuesday he will need up to 20 days to decide whether to support a City Council resolution asking the Air Force for an alternative to the controversial basing of the F-35 jet fighter.
Weinberger said he expects to use as much time as he needs before the council’s next meeting on April 16. Under the city charter, he must decide within that time frame.
“I will use that time as needed to continue the further work on this issue that I promised, and to make this decision with care,” he said in a written statement.
Weinberger has long been a supporter of the F-35 basing, but he told VTDigger in February that he would reconsider his stance if voters opposed it.
Burlington voters and the City Council have both rejected the arrival of 18 F-35 planes next year.
The non-binding ballot item, approved on a 55-45 percent vote Town Meeting Day, called on the City Council to reject the F-35 and seek a replacement mission for the Vermont Air National Guard. Monday night the council voted 9-3 to oppose the fighter jet basing.
“The mayor has been exploring the possible ramifications of the city taking the action requested by the voters, and has been asking for answers to some of the new questions and concerns raised in the days leading up to the vote,” said Katie Vane, a spokesperson for Weinberger.
In his statement, the mayor said he would not have supported an amendment that called for an outright cancellation of the F-35 basing. Council members instead called for a mission for the Air Guard that would replace the noisy fighter jets.
“I welcome that the council made clear last night that it does not support the cancellation of the F-35 basing in Burlington,” he said.
State officials who have been stalwart supporters of the F-35 said the Burlington City Council vote will have no effect on their continued backing of the program.
At a Statehouse press conference Tuesday afternoon, Gov. Phil Scott said he still fully supports the basing.
“I haven’t spoken to the mayor, but I know what we as a state will do,” Scott said. “We’re going to welcome the F-35 to Vermont and I look forward to it coming to Vermont. It is a good economic tool for us to have them based here.”
When asked by a reporter if that meant he would be ignoring the vote, he replied that the City Council was acting on the basis of the Town Meeting Day referendum and that he would continue to support the F-35 basing as governor.
Following the City Council action, Vermont’s congressional delegation, Sens. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., and Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., issued a joint statement supporting the F-35 in Burlington.
“Several years ago, when the Air Force was making the F-35 basing decision, we supported bringing the plane to Vermont to ensure a long-term mission for the Vermont Air National Guard,” the delegation said in a statement. “We stand by that decision, and we respect the fact that not all Vermonters agree on this issue.”
The delegation also said it expects the Air Force to respond to questions raised by the Burlington City Council resolution about the impact of the F-35 on surrounding communities, including South Burlington and Winooski. The council cited issues raised “by the media and/or proponents of the ballot question and community members, leading up to the vote on the F-35 basing.”
Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., pressured the Air Force to base the F-35 fighter jets at the Burlington airport, over the objections of military officials who said in emails obtained by VTDigger that the location was too populated and could harm the health of thousands of local residents in South Burlington and Winooski.
Military plans in other cities have been scrapped or greatly reduced in scope following intense pushback from community and political leaders.
The Vermont Air Guard issued a statement Tuesday night denouncing the resolution passed by the Burlington City Council. Maj. Gen. Steven Cray said in a statement that the council “does not support the men and women of the Vermont Air National Guard, their families or anyone involved with the Guard.”
Cray described the resolution vote as “an unfortunate distraction that could have been avoided.”
“The decision to base the F-35 in Vermont has been made,” Cray wrote. “Questions have been addressed and answered over the last five years. While this unnecessary process continues, allow me to be clear: the men and women of the Vermont Air National Guard will be ready to receive the F-35 in 2019.”
Read VTDigger’s investigative series Rough Landing: Inside a years long debate over the F-35.
