Unlike so many people who are being crushed by the weight of their credit card debt, the city of Springville is trying to ensure that its next big expenditure is made from solid financial ground.

The city has been saving for years to store up enough money to build a new civic complex downtown. City administrator Troy Fitzgerald said Springville has about $8.2 million socked away for the project, which is expected to cost about $20 million.

At a recent open house at City Hall, the city showed residents the proposed layout for the civic complex, which would include a new city hall, police department, fire department and justice court. The city is also considering building a new library building at the complex.

Support for the project appeared to be running high at the open house.

"We had a couple of folks there who were not happy with the project, but we had about 150 people turn out and we only got a couple of negative comments out of the whole group," said Mayor Gene Mangum.

One of the most popular aspects of the proposal, Fitzgerald said, is that the city will pay for it with cash it already has on hand instead of taking out general obligation bonds. In 2003, Springville voters rejected a $19.9 million bond proposal for a new city hall, library and public safety building.

At the open house last week, Springville resident Lee Jeppson said he supported the city's efforts to build the civic complex without bonding.

"I am conservative. I am not real excited about floating bond issues to pay for new buildings," he said.

For the last few years, Fitzgerald said, the city has been saving about $500,000 annually for the project. Mangum said much of the money also came from the sale of city-owned land.

Springville resident and former city councilwoman Dianne Carr said the city may have erred in its past proposal to put up the new buildings using bond money.

"We're in better financial shape now, the city, and I think we're ready for it," she said. "We don't want to be the last city in the state to have the facilities we need."

Resident Kim Bird called the new civic complex "long overdue" and said the current facilities are "busting at the seams."

Dave Foster, who works at the public safety building across the street from City Hall, said he the current facilities are too cramped.

"We can't move anywhere. We have nowhere to move," Foster said.

For resident Andy Shelline, another selling point for the project was that current facilities will not be torn down or closed until their replacements are completed.

"It doesn't disrupt a lot of things," he said. "They're going to be able to build things without cutting anything down the way it's planned at the moment, and I think that's a good idea."

Residents were invited to write down their comments or just talk with the numerous city officials who were at the open house. People had the chance to cast votes for the style of architecture they wanted to see in the civic complex.

The city also asked people for their thoughts on a new library, swimming pool and recreation center. Mangum said the city would have to take out bonds for those projects.

"Whatever they want is what we're going to do," Mangum said.

Jeremy Duda can be reached at 344-2561 or jduda@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page D1.