HOA board votes to exempt themselves from paying monthly fees

Board members in our HOA have voted that they can exempt themselves from paying monthly fees. They based this on a small HOA bylaw addition which said that members will be reimbursed for out of pocket expenses; i.e., they bought the soda for a party. Now the have increased the fees (this is an HOA not a CONDO) to $205.00 based on using a nearby Condo community as an example. We do not have beautiful park land, great facilities, or anything else here. I have lived here for 36 years and have seen the place go downhill in an ugly way. Is it legal for this HOA board to exempt themselves from paying fees? We did not vote on this as a community, it was done in a closed board meeting. Thanks for your help.