About a $283,000 deficit still hangs over the Student Recreation Center although an increase in student fees will not be recommended for the 1988-89 academic year.

William Herrmann, bond revenue operations director, said the debt should be reduced by about $60,000 this year through generated revenue.

Students will not be required to pay more to reduce the deficit next year because “we (the rec center) showed a profit,” Herrmann said.

A 60 cent increase was implemented for fiscal 1987, Herrmann said. The increase is needed to make up for NIU underfunding the project, he said.

The debt would be paid off and an estimated surplus of $101,000 would be shown in the budget by 1991 if a 50 cent raise in student fees occured, Herrmann said.

He said a projected fee increase of between 15 and 20 cents will be requested in 1989-90.

Herrmann said he does not know the exact amount of the raised fee because bond revenue operation works 18 months ahead.

The amount of utility bills also will affect the fee increase, he said.

An agreement that student fees would not be raised from the original amount of $1.50 per credit hour for a two-year period starting in 1985 was approved when the rec center was built.

The debt is connected to the construction of the building, not to pay for equipment or staff salaries, he said.

Student Association Vice President Cam Davis said, “The Office of Campus Receation receives an annual budget from the SA to pay for equipment and staff.”

The SA approved $64,106 for OCR’s 1987-88 budget, Davis said. “This money does not go to cover debts, but for what the building includes,” he said.

Davis said student secretaries’ and weight room supervisors’ salaries come from SA funding.

He said walleyball nets and rule books are paid for from the budget as well.

Students are not paying twice for the rec center because the building is seperate from the contents inside, Davis said.

For example, students still have to pay to bowl in the Holmes Student Center even though they pay fees for the maintenance and upkeep of the building, he said.

Campus Recreation Director Betty Montgomery could not reached for comment Wednesday.