Tuesday's election ballot may look small by California standards, but it's packed with important decisions to be made, especially for Santa Barbara County voters.

We say small, because Tuesday's vote is technically a primary, and the middle of three elections this year, but the outcome of the vote is likely to set a course into the future for county residents.

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No on Prop. 98; yes on Prop. 99

Statewide, voters are confronted with competing initiatives, both of which purport to do about the same thing - but with vastly different real outcomes.

Propositions 98 and 99 bill themselves as a means of curbing the government's appetite for amassing private property through the eminent-domain process, the taking of land for supposed higher purposes, and in the greater public interest.

But, as most Californians know, governments sometimes take property in order to increase revenue flow, and in the process, create an active culture of urban sprawl.

Both 98 and 99 would limit the government's power to take private lands, but 98 has a significant catch - if approved by voters, and receiving more “yes” votes than 99, it would also wipe out rent-control laws passed after Jan. 1 of last year.

That is simply too high a price to pay to curb government's enthusiasm for using its eminent-domain powers. Prop. 99 achieves approximately the same limits on eminent domain, without touching rent-control laws. Prop. 99 is the clear choice for voters.

County election officials tell us more than 60 percent of the ballots have already been cast, via the mail-in vote. That means 40 percent of those intending to vote Tuesday will still go to the polls. We hope you keep these recommendations in mind - for the betterment of Santa Barbara County - but whatever your position, please vote.