A controversial plan to resettle about 100 Syrian refugees in Rutland, Vt., has been approved by the State Department, according to the national nonprofit group that submitted the proposal.

The first refugees are expected to arrive in December from camps in Jordan, Turkey, and Lebanon, said Stacie Blake, director of government and community relations for the US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants.

None of the first wave of refugees, who fled the war in Syria, has been identified yet, Blake said. The rest will come to Rutland through 2017.

Mayor Christopher Louras, who helped develop the resettlement plan without broad public input, called the State Department’s decision a milestone for this city of 16,500 people in southwestern Vermont.

“Beyond making a statement that this is the compassionate and humanitarian and right thing to do, in a very odd way, it’s also a selfish thing to do,’’ Louras said. “Having an influx of a driven population who’s looking to rebuild their lives, and who have a strong work ethic and strong family values, will give great benefit to this community.’’

The resettlement effort, announced publicly by Louras in April after it had been discussed privately for months, spurred vocal and visible opposition.

Some residents said they feared the arrival of terrorists as a result of insufficient vetting. Others cautioned that Muslim refugees would not assimilate or treat women appropriately. And still others said the refugees would burden city finances, schools, and services.

In addition, a majority of the Board of Aldermen voted in July to withhold backing for the plan. In a 7-to-3 decision, the aldermen wrote to the State Department that “we do not feel we are currently in a position to be able to provide a letter of support for the proposal to establish a new reception and placement program in Rutland.’’

Dr. Timothy Cook, an urgent care physician in Rutland who opposes the plan, said he believes the resettlement will lead to “the death of the city I grew up in.’’

The initial influx of 100 refugees will eventually attract hundreds more, and the city will be overwhelmed by their medical and other needs, he said.

“I believe this city is in need of taking care of its own problems first before taking care of problems that are really from another part of the world,’’ said Cook, who added that he was deployed three times to the Middle East as an Army physician.

Louras, however, said residents overwhelmingly favor resettlement in this city whose marble quarries once attracted droves of immigrants in search of good jobs and better lives. That continuing sense of welcome, he said, probably swayed the State Department that Rutland would be a safe haven.

“The spirit of acceptance and engagement shown by thousands of Rutlanders certainly eclipsed any concerns that the Board of Aldermen had,’’ Louras said.

A spokesman for the State Department declined to comment on the application Wednesday.

Each of the refugees will receive a $975 one-time stipend from the US government to help with basics such as rental deposits, clothing, and furnishings, Blake said. A local group, Rutland Welcomes, has been collecting donations for months and stands ready to help, said Jennie Gartner, a member of the organization.

“We’ve been on pins and needles for months now,’’ Gartner said of waiting for the State Department decision. “This is just one more piece of showing the country and the world that Rutland is a place for everyone.’’

Months-long efforts have sought to find housing and jobs for the refugees. Louras said the city has ample vacant apartments, and that potential employers have been contacted. One destination might be Rutland Regional Medical Center, where president Thomas Huebner has said the hospital has positions ranging from food-service workers to technicians that refugees might fill.

Rutland has a chance to become a small-town model of refugee resettlement, Gartner said, particularly at a time when political rhetoric fuels the concerns felt by many Americans about Muslim extremists.

“This is another of those times in history when there are people who do not want to welcome people into the United States,’’ Gartner said. “Rutland will now be playing a vital role in trying to save people’s lives.’’

The US Committee for Refugees and Immigrants has helped bring 8,000 refugees to Vermont since 1989, including families from Bosnia, Bhutan, Vietnam, and Somalia. The organization is one of nine agencies that work with the State Department to find homes for refugees across the country.

The Obama administration wants to bring 110,000 refugees to the United States in fiscal 2017, which begins in October. That is 29 percent more than the 85,000 admitted this fiscal year.

Brian MacQuarrie can be reached at brian.macquarrie@globe.com.