PLAINFIELD, Ind. (WISH) — Homeowners in a Plainfield neighborhood were outraged Tuesday night over what they say is too steep of a fee increase proposed by their homeowners’ association.

Residents of the Meadowlark Lakes & Villas homeowners’ association on Tuesday night rejected a 4-1/2% annual fee hike after a contentious annual meeting. Residents say the proposal comes on the heels of another large fee increase.

Craig Procyk, who opposed the fee increase, told News 8, “Let’s look at saving costs. Let’s look at cutting spending, not just spend, spend, spend because they’ll just ask the neighborhood for more money. The neighborhood has had enough, two back-to-back increases.”

Paula Moore, the president of the Meadowlark homeowners’ association, said those back-to-back increases were necessary to deal with the rising cost of fuel for mowing the property, snow removal, maintenance, and some homeowners’ unpaid dues.

The homeowners’ association also depleted its reserve funds to fix an aging fence.

Moore said the 4-1/2% increase wasn’t as much as it sounded. “For a single home, you’re going to pay $4.22 a month more, and, for a paired home, you will pay $3.50 more. That is the cost of a meal at McDonald’s or a pumpkin latte at Starbucks.”

Procyk says any increase could hurt those on fixed incomes. He says the board could cut back on various services without compromising the aesthetics of the neighborhood. “In these economic times, like I said, when we go out shopping, and I see a $60,000 pickup truck that I want to have … guess what? I don’t buy a $60,000 pickup truck. I buy the $40,000 pickup truck.”

The homeowners’ association said after the decision that it will begin the process of cutting back on certain services including mowing, edging, and mulching.