Voters in Eastern Lancaster County School District voted Tuesday to join the other 500 districts in the state that accept real-estate tax-relief money generated by slot-machine gambling.

The unofficial results on the referendum question of "Do you favor Eastern Lancaster County School District receiving State funds to reduce property taxes on qualified residential properties?" were:

Yes ....... 7,369

No ........ 3,134

Click here for complete county election results

A huge turnout of voters, who voted 70 percent in favor of the referendum, sent a clear message to the school board, which in May rejected $441,818 in slot revenues money designated for the district.

The lopsided vote Tuesday did not surprise Tim Shay, a spokesman for an advocacy group called Tax Alliance, which was founded to fight the district's decision and get it overturned.

"The people have spoken," Shay said. "But it wasn't easy. There were a lot of people who worked real hard on a grassroots level, including Democrats, Republicans and Independents."

In 2004, the state Legislature legalized slots gambling to fund school property-tax relief. The first allocation of money to districts, totaling $613 million statewide, was made this school year.

On May 29, however, Elanco School Board voted 5-3 to decline the district's share of the funding — it was the only district in the state to turn down the money.

Elanco school board members said they rejected the revenue because of the "social ills associated with slot-machine operations."

The board's decision triggered a clause in the slots law that required the issue be posed on a ballot question.

Affirmative votes by regions in the school district were: Terre Hill, 58 percent; three New Holland districts, 81 percent; Earl Township, 61 percent; East Earl Township, 64 percent; Brecknock Township, 70 percent; and Caernarvon Township, 66 percent.

In September, Lancaster County Board of Elections stripped a reference to gambling from a ballot question proposed by the Elanco school board.

However, a representative of the Elanco Republican Committee on Tuesday handed out fliers outside the voting station in Terre Hill that emphasized where the tax-relief money would come from.

Beneath the ballot question was a clarification that read: "The state funds referred to in the question are generated from money lost by individual gamblers at slot machine casinos."

Calls to members of the Elanco Republican Committee were not returned Tuesday.

District homeowners would have received a $66.53 reduction on their tax bills for 2008-09. But the average Elanco property owner's school tax bill went up by $69 in 2008-09.

By rejecting the school board's decision, owners of 6,644 qualifying properties can apply to receive a reduction on their tax bills for 2009-10.

To qualify for a tax reduction in the Elanco school district:

• The deed of the home must be in your name and you must live there full time.

• Homeowners must complete and submit a Homestead Exclusion application and have it approved by the Lancaster County Property Assessment Office before March 1.

E-mail: pburns@lnpnews.com