Earl Township resident Tim Shay presents a petition Monday night asking members of the Eastern Lancast...(more)

 

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Eastern Lancaster County school board President Loren Martin stresses a point during Monday night's bo...(more)

 

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The residents attended the board meeting in the Garden Spot High School auditorium — held there to accommodate the sizable crowd — with dozens speaking for nearly two hours about the board's decision May 29 to reject money generated by the state's legalized slot machine industry. That money would have helped reduce the residents' property tax bills.

The decision made Elanco the lone school district in Pennsylvania to forgo the state funding.

In a 5-3 vote May 29, the Elanco board rejected the funds — amounting to $441,818 — and condemned gambling.

The board's action means the owners of 6,644 properties who qualified for farmstead and homestead exemptions won't get a $66.53 reduction on their 2008-09 tax bills.

The meeting turned testy at times with catcalls from the audience, but for the most part residents simply stated their opinions, both in support of and against the board's action.

East Earl Township resident Tim Shay presented a petition with nearly 850 signatures calling for school board members to resign.

Shay read the card, which states: "The school board believes that the school district should not be associated in any manner with the social ills associated with slot machine operations."

"Now that's all well and good, except that's not your call," Shay said. "I don't question your morals. I don't question how you came to this decision. I'll tell you it's a wrong decision, but you should not impose these morals on other people."

School board president Loren Martin said he didn't want to change anyone's mind regarding the gambling money, but he said the board made its decision to send a message to the state that it would not accept money generated by slot machine gambling.

Even if district residents in November in a referendum vote reject the board's action, Elanco can't recoup the $441,818 earmarked for the district for 2008-09; that money has been returned to the statewide funding pool for next year's tax relief. Under state law, however, the district must ask its residents if Elanco should accept tax-relief money in 2009-10.

Ed Warner of Fivepointville said he felt district residents made it clear they are in favor of the money when 72 percent of them signed up for the homestead and farmstead exemptions.

Warner said he did not want to see the board making moral decisions for the community, and he did not understand why Elanco should be different from the rest of the school districts in the state.

"You are not the moral leaders of our community," Warner said. "We have ministers, priests, rabbis. You are school board administrators."

Herman Blakely of Brecknock Township said every school board member signed up for an exemption. He also said the minutes from the May 12 committee-of-the-whole meeting show that the board's consensus was to approve the gaming revenue, but on May 29 the board held a special meeting and rejected the money.

Galen Martin of Terre Hill brought signed letters from three local churches supporting the board's decision.

Martin said he has met politicians in different capacities who have lacked moral conviction, and he said the board's decision was a step showing that government officials can take a moral stance.

"Your decision makes good sense and is certainly a step towards a safer community and stronger families," Martin said. "I can assure you that there are many taxpayers in the Elanco School District that applaud your decision based upon moral and ethical principles."

Barry Good of New Holland said he felt the district had made good decisions in the past regarding education, but he believes religious ideas are starting to creep into decisions.

"Church and state have no place here, today, tomorrow, or years to come," Good said. "And you already cost us a tank of gas."

E-mail: myoder@lnpnews.com