Four interlocal agreements between Vicksburg and Warren County won city approval Tuesday, but not without the mayor questioning whether the city is paying too much for two services.

“My question is why should the county profit from the city,” Mayor Laurence Leyens said as he voted not to approve paying Warren County $75,000 annually to collect taxes for the city.

Vicksburg, Warren County and school taxes are collected in the Warren County Courthouse by the Tax Collector’s Office and then divided.

Over his objection, the motion to continue the payment was approved with South Ward Alderman Sid Beauman and North Ward Alderman Michael Mayfield voting for it.

Beauman said no changes were made in the agreements from last year. He said the city and county have been trying to work out their problems with the agreements for many years. Beauman said that since there does not seem to be an easy solution, he would rather vote for it than risk residents loosing services.

The vote was aligned the same when the board took up funding for the emergency dispatch office. Leyens said the city is underpaid for services associated with E-911.

The agreement is that the city pays 65 percent of the costs of the service, while the county pays 35 percent.

Two other interlocal agreements were approved unanimously, for operation of ambulance and rescue services and one for the sale of property sold for nonpayment of taxes and the redemption of property sold for nonpayment of taxes.

In the agreement for ambulance and rescue service, the county agrees to pay $350,000 to the city for the service.

All four of the agreements were approved by the Warren County Board of Supervisors last week.

On a separate issue, the mayor and aldermen approved a letter to Kansas City Southern Railway for relocation of city utilities.

KCS is building rail parallel to its existing line from Fairground Street to North Frontage Road. The city’s utilities are located on KCS’s right of way, so the company told the city its utilities will be moved at a cost of $440,000 to the city. Leyens said the city will pay the money in installments over the next two years. He also said there is another project in the works that may save the city $400,000.

&#8220So it may end up a wash,” Leyens said.

The board also adopted a resolution authorizing the preparation of an application to the Mississippi Arts Commission under the Arts-Based Community Development Minigrant Program for 2005. City planner Wayne Mansfield said this grant will help bring Mississippi Symphony performances to Vicksburg.

In other business, the board: