The Board of Mayor and Alderman and the Warren County Board of Supervisors could be able to sign an interlocal agreement for ambulance service by the first part of September, Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said.

He said City Attorney Nancy Thomas and county board attorney Blake Teller were in the process of preparing the agreement, which is required for the city to provide ambulance service outside the city limits. Both boards meet Sept. 6 and could approve the agreement then. The agreement must also be approved by the Attorney General’s office.

The Board of Supervisors Monday approved a two-year contract to continue the county’s ambulance service agreement with the city of Vicksburg. The contract calls for the county to pay $350 per ambulance run the first year and $400 per run the second year, as well as $280,000 as the county’s share of rescue service costs both years. Either side can cancel the contract with 90 days notice. The supervisors’ vote was unanimous

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen approved the agreement with a 3-0 vote at a special meeting Monday afternoon.

“I think one of the main things in the agreement is that it defines dispatched as meaing en route,” Flaggs said. “That was a major issue.

“This is a great compromise and I applaud the city board and the Board of Supervisors for being able to compromise on this,” he said. “This is a win for the city and a win for the county, and this is a two-year agreement, so we won’t have to go through this year after year.”

The city and county have had an interlocal agreement that allows the city to provide ambulance service to the county since 1967. The board considered going to a private ambulance and developing its own rescue service after city officials wanted to charge $400 per run under a one-year agreement.

The Board of Supervisors looked at two private companies, American Medical Response, or AMR, of Jackson, and Laurel-based ASAP EMS. The board on Aug. 22 was to have authorized George to sign a contract with ASAP, but tabled the matter to talk with city officials, and planned a special meeting Monday to vote on whether to go to ASAP or renew its agreement with the county. Another issue involving charges the city had under-billed the county for runs made by the rescue unit into the county remains to be resolved, but Flaggs believes a settlement on those charges can be reached.

City Attorney Nancy Thomas said those rescue unit numbers were still being audited.