Our last operating tax increase occurred 12 years ago. The district’s current operating tax rate is 59.57 cents. We have worked tirelessly to be good stewards of our resident’s tax dollars, with plans to make the 2012 tax increase last at least 15, however state regulations and significant increases in operating costs have made this impossible. The state’s Hancock Amendment and Missouri’s new Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief program passed into state law have severely restricted our revenue growth, preventing us from being able to keep up with the cost of doing business. We’ve stretched as far as we can, based on current and future projections.