As your council tax bills arrive, I want to speak directly to you about Hampshire County Council’s finances.

With local elections approaching in May, a great deal of misinformation is already circulating.

So let me be absolutely clear from the outset: Hampshire is not “bankrupt”. Far from it. We have delivered £94 million in savings over the past year and expect to achieve almost £40 million more before year end. That is responsible, disciplined financial management.

Demand for social care is rising sharply. The cost of school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities has almost doubled in four years. Hampshire has also been hit particularly hard by the Government’s latest funding settlement.

Over the next three years, we will lose £40 million a year in Government grants, leaving us the lowest-funded shire county in England per head of population.

By law, councils must balance the books. Every year that task becomes tougher. More people need our help, costs keep climbing and, once again, support from central Government has dwindled.

Adult social care is our biggest challenge. The cost of residential and nursing care for older people has risen by £20 million in just 12 months. We are also supporting an additional 45 older residents every month as more families turn to us when their loved ones’ savings run out.

This is a statutory service — we cannot reduce it, nor should we.

We are leaving no stone unturned. Every efficiency, every new way of working and every opportunity to save money is being pursued. This work has already reduced our 2026/27 budget gap by almost £40 million.

We are proposing a £971 million capital investment programme, funded largely by developer contributions and Government grants. This includes new and extended school buildings, more SEND provision, modern children’s social care facilities, major road and bridge improvements and new waste and recycling facilities — including the ability to recycle plastics.

These investments reduce long-term costs and keep services closer to home.

The county council’s share of your council tax has increased by £80 a year for a Band D property. This will help us continue to prioritise the most vulnerable — older people, adults with disabilities and children who need protection — while also enabling at least £15 million of additional investment in highway resilience next year.

You will hear a lot of talk about “council debt” in the coming weeks. Here are the facts. Hampshire’s debt is low and falling — now £153 million, just 4.6 percent of our £3.3 billion budget and down by £9 million in the last year.

We only borrow for long-term capital projects such as SEND units, modern care facilities and major infrastructure. This is prudent, responsible financial management.

And as for the claim that half of your council tax goes on pensions — it is simply untrue. Employer pension contributions represent just 3.4 percent of our council tax income.

As we move towards local government reorganisation in 2028, stable and sustainable finances are essential. Hampshire is well run, financially disciplined and focused relentlessly on protecting the most vulnerable.

Cllr Nick Adams-King (Conservative: Romsey Rural) is Leader of Hampshire County Council.