JOHNS CREEK, GA — A group of Johns Creek residents is organizing a campaign to oppose a proposed performing arts center that will go before voters in November.

The ballot measure asks residents to approve a 20-year, $40 million bond to help fund the project, which is expected to cost about $60 million overall. Plans call for an 800-seat performance hall to host concerts, graduations, and community events at a site on Lakefield Drive in the city’s Town Center.

Opponents say the project is too expensive and unnecessary, pointing to existing venues in nearby Sandy Springs and Cumming.

“I go down to Sandy Springs which is beautiful and works perfectly well, and the other venue somewhere up in Cumming, it’s not so far away,” one resident said.

Others argue the money would be better spent on public safety and other priorities. Resident Kirk Canady, who is nearly 80 years old, expressed concern about the impact on taxpayers.

“I don’t intend to spend my senior years with escalated property taxes, no way,” Canady said.

If approved, officials estimate property taxes could rise by as much as 17 percent. For a home valued at $525,000, that would mean an additional $80 per year.

The bond referendum will be decided by voters in Johns Creek during the November election.

WSB’s Graham Carroll contributed to this story