Budget and council tax in summary
  

Getting the priorities right

Every local community in Hampshire benefits from local schools, recreation facilities, social services, road maintenance and other services the County Council provides.

Our priority in delivering services is to ensure that Hampshire is a safe and secure place to live. For many this could mean seeing the reassuring presence of a Community Support Officer or knowing that Hampshire’s natural beauty is being protected. However a growing number are dependent on the County Council to enhance their quality of life in more fundamental ways, for example through social care. This is a time of unprecedented demand on our services and constrained Government funding. The goal of ensuring that all council taxpayers and especially those residents most reliant on our services are protected from these budget pressures is the biggest challenge facing the County Council today.

Maintaining top-rated services

The budget pressures mean the County Council is having to make some tough decisions, identifying areas where we can spend less and also changing the way services are provided to meet the needs of the community.

The Hampshire population aged over 85 is expected to increase by 20% over the next five years compared with an overall population increase of 3%. In addition there are many more children born with complex disabilities requiring care for longer as a result of advances in medicine.  However, the County Council has agreed a five year strategy for modernising adult social care which aims to place a greater emphasis on prevention, wellbeing, independence and choice.

Councils are being pushed hard by the Government to reduce the volume of waste sent to landfill by introducing tough targets and higher landfill tax charges. So, even though Hampshire is the best performing area in the country for recycling and energy recovery ,the cost of dealing with the county’s rising volume of waste could rise by 17% over the next three years.

How your services are funded

The Government grant provides funding for 20% of the cost of the services we provide other than schools which are fully funded by a direct grant. This means council tax provides 80% of the money needed to look after vulnerable people, the elderly, young people, maintaining our roads, and providing other services.

The County Council will make £13 million efficiency savings in 2007/08 adding to the £27 million identified in the last two years. After taking these into account we have set a council tax rise of 4.9% leaving the amount you pay in council tax still amongst the lowest for counties in England.

Listening to you

Again this year we have consulted residents on the options available. They fully supported the council’s efforts to make efficiencies and savings but if made to choose they would reluctantly support an increase in council tax of up to 5% to avoid deep cuts in services.

If you have any questions on the budget or council tax, please contact the County Treasurer's Department