Less than 24 hours after Councilman Justin Burnett announced his resignation, the Zone 2 leader has rescinded that statement.
Burnett tendered his April resignation with the city effective at 11:59 p.m. today. However, this morning, Burnett emailed council members saying he had reconsidered.
City Attorney Dan Wichmer said the resignation could be rescinded prior to the effective date, according to a news release.
In a
two-page letter submitted to council yesterday, Burnett cited health reasons as the catalyst for his resignation, citing a combined 80 to100 hours of work per week between his day job, school and council.
“After months of minimal sleep and long days, my body is finally telling me that something has to give,” he wrote in the letter. “It is often said that ‘sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me,’ however, words do have a profound impact on one's health, which I can attest to.”
Overnight, Burnett decided to stick with council, instead deciding to take a break from college.
“While the stress of city politics has taken a mental and physical toll, the community's overall response to my resignation ignited a desire to start fresh,” he wrote in this morning’s email. “As I stated after my election, the city has been through a tumultuous time and needs to heal. Bowing out now would be too easy, which is why I will spend the following days attempting to bridge the gap between both those on the left and right.”
During his short term in office, Burnett has been the voice behind some of 2015’s most polarizing social issues in the Queen City. He campaigned on the repeal of sexual orientation and gender identity protections and, in June, Burnett proposed posting “In God We Trust” inside council chambers, drawing support from many, but outcries from others calling for the separation of church and state. Later last summer, his proposal for a stricter indecent exposure ordinance led to multiple protests calling for council to “free the nipple,” and drawing national media attention.
The latter also spawned a group calling for his resignation, which starting collecting signatures in October. Burnett address that backlash in his original resignation letter, noting he hoped to save time, money and energy of those seeking a recall.
“I also want to apologize to anyone in the community who was ever offended by some of the tough decisions that I have had to make,” he wrote. “Hindsight is 20/20, or so they say, but rest assured that every decision that I have ever made was an attempt to represent the constituents that contacted me.”
Today, Burnett said he hopes Springfield doesn’t, “fall prey to the incivility that is crippling both our state and national politics.”
A department head for Mardel Christian & Educational Supply Inc., Burnett earned the votes in the April 8 election, which also appointed three other new council members and narrowly repealed the city’s expanded nondiscrimination ordinance. With just 39.1 percent of the vote, Burnett defeated Buckley “Buck” Van Hooser, account executive with Journal Broadcast Group, and Josh Mareschal, a civil litigation attorney and president of the Rountree PTA.
Burnett is planning a Zone 2 town hall meeting in the coming days. Details have not yet been released.
