Norfolk Select Board candidates clash on spending limits, infrastructure priorities ahead of May 5 vote

NORFOLK — April 18, 2026 — Norfolk's two Select Board candidates faced off April 18 in a televised forum ahead of the May 5 election. Incumbent Anita Mecklenburg, a six-year board member and current chair, defended a record that includes the Norfolk Citizens Academy, a pre-town meeting series, and a fire station project she said came in "almost a million dollars under budget" after the board publicly owned errors from an earlier police station project. Challenger Kathy Brown, a small business owner and eight-year resident, called for a "reset" in fiscal philosophy, opposing overrides and debt exclusions "at the moment" and demanding more community input before major projects move forward. Both candidates voiced support for a town charter, with Brown noting she already has a petition circulating and Mecklenburg offering to help. The candidates agreed Norfolk faces a harder budget year ahead but differed on method: Mecklenburg pointed to a two-budget approach designed to show voters service trade-offs before any override decision; Brown called for stricter prioritization and living within existing means. Early voting runs April 24 through April 30 at the Freeman-Kennedy School, which also serves as Election Day polling location.