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Miro Weinberger

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Miro Weinberger
42nd Mayor of Burlington
In office
April 2, 2012 – April 1, 2024
Preceded byBob Kiss
Succeeded byEmma Mulvaney-Stanak
Personal details
Born (1970-02-25) February 25, 1970 (age 54)
Brattleboro, Vermont, U.S.
Political partyDemocratic
Spouse
Stacy Sherwat
​
(m. 2000)​
Children2
EducationYale University (BA)
Harvard University (MPP)

Miro Weinberger (born February 25, 1970) is an American politician who was the 42nd mayor of Burlington, Vermont.[1] He was the city's first Democratic Party mayor since Gordon Paquette was defeated by Bernie Sanders in 1981.[1] Weinberger was the Democratic Party chair for Chittenden County during the 2004 election cycle.[2] He also was on the Burlington Airport Commission for nine years, as board president of the Turning Point Center of Chittenden County, a drug addiction recovery organization, and on the board of the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center, Leahy Center for Lake Champlain.[3]

Early life

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Weinberger was born in Brattleboro, Vermont, and raised in Hartland, in a Jewish family.[4] He left the state to attend Yale University, where he graduated with a double major in environmental studies and American studies.[4] Weinberger then worked in Washington, D.C., for Senator Patrick Leahy and on Senator Harris Wofford's reelection campaign.[5] He also worked for Habitat for Humanity in Georgia, Florida, and New York, and completed a master's degree in public policy and urban planning at the Kennedy School of Government.[5][6]

Professional career

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In 2002, Weinberger returned to Vermont and co-founded the Hartland Group in Burlington.[5] In less than nine years, his company built over 200 affordable and market rate homes in Vermont and New Hampshire, consisting of over $40 million of development.[5] His work has won a smart growth and a green building award, LEED certifications, and has involved the clean-up of environmentally contaminated sites.[5]

Weinberger's previous professional work included three and a half years with the Greyston Foundation, a community development organization in southwest Yonkers, and a short stint as a sports writing intern for the Boston Globe.[7]

Mayor of Burlington

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Weinberger was elected mayor of Burlington on March 6, 2012.[1] He defeated Tim Ashe in the closely contested Democratic primary and Republican nominee Kurt Wright in the general election.[1] Weinberger won with 57.7% of the vote.[1] He was reelected on March 3, 2015, Town Meeting Day, with 68% of the vote over former Burlington Public Works Director Steve Goodkind. On March 6, 2018, Weinberger defeated Carina Driscoll (Bernie Sanders's stepdaughter) and Infinite Culcleasure to win a third term in office with 48% of the vote.[8][9] Weinberger won reelection in 2021 by less than 1 point against Progressive Party nominee Max Tracy.[10] On September 28, 2023, Weinberger announced that he would not seek a fifth term as mayor.[11]

In office, Weinberger has focused on mitigating Burlington's contributions to climate change, improving early learning opportunities for youth, stewarding the city's financial health, leading initiatives to regulate Burlington's housing market, and combating the opioid epidemic.[12][13][14][7][15][vague]

Burlington became the nation's first city to source all its energy from renewable generation during Weinberger's tenure as mayor in 2014.[12] Weinberger and his administration have set a goal of becoming a net zero energy city in the next 15 years.[16] In coordination with the City's Electric Department, he has overseen an expansion in solar installations throughout Burlington – from 25 solar arrays pre-2012 to about 160 in 2017 – and in electric vehicle charging stations and electric vehicle purchasing incentives.[17][18]

In mid-2021, Weinberger ordered the closure of the Sears Lane homeless encampment, displacing at least two residents, who filed an unsuccessful legal challenge to the decision.[19]

As mayor, Weinberger spearheaded an initiative to redevelop Burlington's sole closed-interior mall into a mixed-use project. The original mall was demolished in 2017, but redevelopment stalled for years due to funding issues and myriad lawsuits.[20] Construction resumed in 2022.[21]

Personal life

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Weinberger married Stacy Sherwat in 2000, and they have two daughters.[22][23][2] Stacy is the Early Education Director at the King Street Center.[2] Weinberger plays catcher for the Burlington Cardinals in an over-35 men's baseball league;[24][25] former Boston Red Sox pitcher Bill Lee is also on the team.[23]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "Weinberger becomes Burlington's 42nd mayor". Retrieved April 16, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  2. ^ a b c "Miro for Mayor campaign site". Retrieved April 16, 2012.
  3. ^ Jickling, Katie (January 31, 2018). "Two Against One: Is Weinberger Vulnerable in Burlington's Mayoral Race?". Seven Days. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  4. ^ a b "Burlington's own Mayor Miro Weinberger | Nextup Vermont". nextupvt.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  5. ^ a b c d e "Miro Weinberger announces for Burlington mayor". VTDigger. September 20, 2011. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  6. ^ "ABC22: "Your Voice"". Retrieved May 26, 2012.
  7. ^ a b "Weinberger releases plan to keep Burlington housing affordable, livable". VTDigger. January 25, 2012. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  8. ^ "Can Carina Driscoll ride an anti-Weinberger wave to City Hall? - VTDigger". VTDigger. February 26, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  9. ^ "Weinberger wins 3rd term: 'This is what moving forward looks like'". Burlington Free Press. March 6, 2018. Retrieved June 24, 2018.
  10. ^ "Weinberger wins another term as Burlington mayor". March 2, 2021.
  11. ^ "Burlington Mayor Miro Weinberger will not seek reelection". VT Digger. September 28, 2023. Retrieved October 8, 2023.
  12. ^ a b Peters, Adele (February 6, 2015). "How Burlington, Vermont, Became The First City In The U.S. To Run On 100% Renewable Electricity". Fast Company. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  13. ^ "Mayor Weinberger, Community Leaders Announce Launch of the Burlington Early Learning Initiative's First Steps Scholarship Program | City of Burlington, Vermont". www.burlingtonvt.gov. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  14. ^ Lamdin, Courtney. "Weinberger Touts Burlington's Improved Credit Rating". Seven Days. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  15. ^ "Mayor Miro Weinberger and Community Partners Announce 50 Percent Decline in Opioid-Related Overdose Fatalities in Chittenden County in 2018 | City of Burlington, Vermont". www.burlingtonvt.gov. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  16. ^ "Weinberger presents plan for net zero energy city, lake clean-up". Vermont Business Magazine. February 28, 2018. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  17. ^ "Burlington Electric Launches Solar Shopper Program | Burlington Electric Department". www.burlingtonelectric.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  18. ^ "Burlington Electric Department | Customer Service: (802) 865-7300Monday-Friday 8am-5pm". www.burlingtonelectric.com. Retrieved August 13, 2019.
  19. ^ "Vermont judge denies effort to stop closure of homeless camp". AP NEWS. November 3, 2021. Retrieved March 28, 2022.
  20. ^ Lamdin, Courtney. "Parties Resolve Long-Standing Lawsuits Against CityPlace Project". Seven Days. Retrieved November 11, 2022.
  21. ^ Lamdin, Courtney. "At Long Last, Construction Begins on CityPlace Burlington Site". Seven Days. Retrieved June 8, 2023.
  22. ^ "Burlington Mayor Weinberger and family welcome baby girl". Archived from the original on November 18, 2013. Retrieved November 18, 2013.
  23. ^ a b "Burlington's new mayor opens up about the transition, his goals and his favorite music". Retrieved April 16, 2012.[permanent dead link]
  24. ^ "For the Love of the Game". Retrieved June 15, 2012.
  25. ^ "2016 Burlington Cardinals". Burlington Cardinals. Vermont Senior Baseball League inc. Retrieved April 29, 2016.
[edit]
Political offices
Preceded by Mayor of Burlington
2012–2024 		Succeeded by
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