ESCANABA — Voters in Garden and Fairbanks townships and the entire Escanaba Area School District will weigh in on proposals today. Polls opened this morning at 7 a.m. and will remain open until 8 p.m.

Residents who live in the Escanaba School District — which includes Escanaba, Ford River, Wells, and Cornell Township and a sliver of Marquette County near Cornell Township — will decide whether the district should be allowed to levy a 2.2 mill ($2.20 per $1,000 of taxable value) for five years for the creation of a sinking fund. The fund would be used exclusively for capital projects, such as building repair and construction, real estate and technology purchases, or security improvements.

Garden and Fairbanks townships will both decide on ordinances that would create planning commissions for their communities.

The proposal in Garden Township would create a commission that only had authority in the unincorporated portion of the township. Despite technically being part of Garden Township, residents of the Village of Garden will not be able to vote on the ordinance, as the village already has a planning commission of its own.