Voters are heading to the polls Tuesday for the last major election of the century. Fittingly, it will be a watershed event for Ventura County, which will decide a landmark ballot measure charting the course of growth and the future of agriculture well into the next century.
Attracted by the high-profile gubernatorial campaign pitting Democrat Gray Davis against Republican Dan Lungren, and the usual array of sweeping statewide propositions, more local voters are expected to cast ballots Tuesday than at any time except Bill Clinton's 1996 reelection. More than 66% of registered voters turned out that year.
But there is more at stake for the county than who will govern California into the next millennium. Or whether the state's Indian tribes will be allowed to expand their gaming operations, or if state Treasurer Matt Fong will become the first Chinese-American U.S. senator from the mainland.
Voting booth decisions made in local races will have just as much bearing on the region's future. The most high-profile contest is the battle over Measure B, the countywide SOAR initiative, which would prevent politicians from rezoning farmland and open space outside cities without voter approval.
The Save Open Space and Agricultural Resources campaign has also put smaller versions of the initiative before voters in Thousand Oaks, Simi Valley, Oxnard, Camarillo and Santa Paula. Those measures would prevent the cities from expanding their borders without permission from their citizens.
Just as important, voters will also decide who will represent them in Congress and the state Legislature. Voters in Thousand Oaks will choose between Democratic Rep. Brad Sherman and GOP challenger Randy Hoffman in an expensive race targeted by both parties. For the rest of the county, the choice is between Republican Rep. Elton Gallegly and Democratic challenger Dan Gonzalez.
In Ventura, Santa Paula, Ojai and Fillmore, those casting ballots will replace retiring Republican Assemblyman Brooks Firestone. In Oxnard, Camarillo, Thousand Oaks and Moorpark, voters will decide on a replacement for Republican Assemblyman Nao Takasugi, who cannot seek reelection because of term limits.
Eight of Ventura County's 10 cities will elect new city council members to guide them on meat-and-potatoes issues such as growth and public safety.
