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FAIRFIELD, IOWA -- Jefferson County, just like every other county throughout Iowa, is putting together their budget for the next fiscal year.

On Thursday, KTVO spoke with Jefferson County Supervisor Lee Dimmitt about the county’s budget and about the overall financial health of the county.

According to Dimmitt, the county is in good financial health; however, the county is looking at ways of reducing costs and increasing revenue.

In recent months, many county supervisors have voiced their concern to the governor’s office about the increasing pressures the state is putting on the counties.

If the house version of the commercial property tax bill is passed, cities and counties would face more financial pressure. Some state representatives that were against the bill feel that small cities and counties, like ones found throughout southeast Iowa, could go bankrupt.

KTVO asked Dimmitt; do you feel that the state wants the counties to do more with less?

Dimmitt responded, “Yes, there is not question about that. The problem I have with Governor Branstad’s proposal is simply this; he’s saying that we need to learn to be more frugal. I don’t think anyone is more frugal than a county.”

One example of how the county is cutting costs is cutting the budget proposed by the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office. For the third year in a row, county supervisors have asked the sheriff’s office to cut costs without putting the safety of the community at risk. And for the third straight year, the sheriff’s office has done it again.

“This year we asked him to cut $127,000 out of his budget, that is substantial. We compared it to other counties of about the same size and he came back to us and had cut $121,000. I don’t think you could kick about that. He did a tremendous job,” said Dimmitt.