Several residents used public comment time at the July 8 Cranford Township Committee meeting to challenge the committee on Payment In Lieu Of Taxes (PILOT) agreements, affordable-housing surplus calculations and how development affects school enrollment and the municipal budget.

A speaker identified a 38-unit affordable-housing surplus carried from the third round and questioned why the township did not use that surplus to deny a proposed development at 750 Walnut (a project referred to as Hart's Mountain in comments). The speaker said the 750 Walnut development produced 38 affordable units — the same number as the surplus — and argued that, had officials asserted the surplus, the project could have been turned away. The exchange prompted the mayor to respond that he was not on the council when a 30-year tax abatement was approved and told the commenter his facts were incorrect.

At-large public comment included a request for clearer revenue accounting and a breakdown of school-age children tied to specific developments. Resident Rita Labruto cited counts she attributed to developers or township materials: 42 school-age children from Birchwood, 26 from Woodmont, 3 from Cranford Crossing and 1 from Riverfront. Using the meeting's cited 2025–26 budgeted cost per pupil (stated at the meeting as $17,032.3), she multiplied those counts against expected revenue and argued that some affordable-housing projects run a net cost to the school district while others do not. Labruto said the township must focus on attracting commercial ratables to increase revenue.

Committee members and municipal staff responded in part: a commissioner noted that assessment numbers for 750 Walnut show an increase in total assessed value after the pilot is completed (from approximately $17,000,007 to about $22,000,004.50 in a statement at the meeting), which the official said will bring more tax revenue to the township than before the pilot. The committee also pointed out that the Board of Education's budget increases are driven in part by capital debt service related to a $75 million referendum and by standard budget growth.

Another public speaker, Jim Carvalho, criticized what he called the "weak mayor" model of Cranford government and detailed past administrative turnover and no-bid contract concerns; Carvalho's remarks were delivered as public comment and reflected his view of administrative and political history rather than committee policy actions. The mayor and other officials later urged commenters to meet with committee members for clarification on facts and data.

No committee policy change or vote on PILOTs or affordable-housing rules occurred at the meeting; the items were raised in public comment and in committee remarks, and officials said staff will continue to provide budget and enrollment data to residents upon request.