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Breakdancing Candidate at Cranford Town Hall Fuels Questions Over Tax Hike

The viral moment spotlights his independent bid focused on tax increases he links to a January school referendum.

Overview

  • Will Thilly danced wordlessly to the podium, performed a backspin, then moonwalked away after raising questions about local taxes.
  • He said his property tax bill rose about $900 despite officials previously describing an average increase of roughly $400 tied to the school measure.
  • A January referendum approved about $55 million for Cranford public schools, which Thilly cites in pressing for clarity on household impacts.
  • Thilly is running as an independent for the Township Committee with a platform critical of overdevelopment and long-term tax breaks for developers.
  • He has posted similar town-hall stunts on social media, and the November election has five candidates competing for two open committee seats.