Things aren’t getting any cheaper these days.

The rent in the University Student Apartment Community is no exception, as the USAC Council voted Monday night to raise the cost of renting apartments in Schilletter Village, University Village, Hawthorn Court and Pammel Court for the 1998 fiscal year.

The increase passed 4-2, upping the rent to $382 in Schilletter Village, $361 in a University Village two-bedroom apartment, $335 for a one-bedroom apartment in University Village, $336 in Hawthorn Court and $200 in Pammel Court.

The increases only amount to $12 to $14, but residents said they feel the increases may hit them hard in the pocketbooks and are concerned that raising their rent is not necessary.

Residents expressed these and other concerns at Monday’s meeting, saying they haven’t seen added benefits and improvements since the yearly increases were made.

Backed by Joel Felix, USAC mayor, the students also said they feel the rent increases should reflect the rate of inflation.

Director of Residence Randy Alexander said increases are always going to occur because of needs which are not necessarily related to the apartment community itself.

“We’re just moving on one year at a time,” he said.

Added expenses, 45 percent of which stems from salary increases, are beyond the university’s control, Alexander said.

After explaining that the wages are determined by the state, Alexander said he felt the current service in USAC is reasonably efficient.

“I think USAC is one of the best managed facilities we have,” Alexander said.

“I believe we can be more efficient in some of our operations,” he said, “but this figure is just an educated guess on what will happen in the future.”

The council voting on the increase included two representatives each from Schilletter Village, University Village and Hawthorn Court. However, the USAC council has yet to find willing residents to serve as Pammel Court representatives.

The council expressed frustration with the level of involvement of residents in the council’s decisions, particularly the lack of involvement from Pammel Court on the council.

If Pammel Court had been represented, the vote may have turned out differently, council members said.

Council members encouraged residents to attend other meetings, not just meetings at which budgets are discussed. In return, residents asked the council to invite them to informational meetings in the future.

All USAC residents are encouraged to run in the upcoming council elections.