A summit of sorts on fuel prices in Vicksburg appears dead, as Warren County supervisors shot down the idea proposed by District 4 Supervisor Carl Flanders earlier this week.

The idea was to invite managers of area service stations to appear before a pubic meeting of the board to talk about the topic, but it withered under the heat of other board members’ contentions that supervisors have no power whatsoever over service stations prices.

&#8220We can play the role of consumer advocate here,” Flanders said Thursday as supervisors met informally. &#8220It’s affecting our economy.”

&#8220We’re going to build the expectation that we have an ability to change it,” District 5 Supervisor Richard George said in response, echoing a refrain heard when Flanders broached the subject to the board for the first time.

This week, average prices at the pump have stood at $2.19 in the Vicksburg area, higher than Jackson at $2.12 and the statewide average of $2.14.

Nationally, the average for a gallon of regular unleaded remains $2.25.

Although down to about 7 cents per gallon, the retail differential between Vicksburg and other area markets, larger and smaller, has been up to 30 cents or more for much of the year.

If the merchants were invited, they wouldn’t be obliged to show up, District 1 Supervisor David McDonald said, adding that the setup would leave the board an unfair subject of public ire.

Flanders said later that he would drop the idea for now, as it would likely die without a second in a formal board meeting. This year’s board president said he may instead look to talk with managers and distributors individually.

The Consumer Protection Division of the Attorney General’s Office investigates unfair business practices, an option the board did not direct its counsel to pursue but mentioned as the best avenue for citizens.

Laws governing price &#8220gouging” generally only apply during declared emergencies. Price fixing or collaboration is illegal, but requires proof of a conspiracy to keep prices artificially high.

Distributors with current and past experience in Vicksburg have acknowledged the consistent disparity. They have blamed an array of market-based forces, such as the size of the Vicksburg market, crude oil costs and fewer distributors overall compared to years past.

The Pantry Inc. of Sanford, N.C., the second-largest independent owner of convenience stores in the United States, owns eight service stations in Vicksburg, making it the market share leader here.

State and federal fuel taxes are imposed per-gallon and do not rise or fall with pump prices. Supervisors and trustees of the Vicksburg Warren School District have been exploring adding above-ground tanks to be able to buy in bulk and avoid prices charged locally.

In other business, the board discussed possible amendments and revisions to the county subdivision ordinance.

Supervisors looked at a development code Warren County passed in 1977 that set forth a permit system that complied with a then-nascent National Flood Insurance Program.

On the advice of board attorney Paul Winfield, supervisors decided not to use portions of it to absorb into the current ordinance, on the books since 2004, primarily because of positions laid out that the board has no intention of hiring.

Jobs for a &#8220building official” and an &#8220inspector” were part of that resolution, but have not been filled. Hiring a building inspector, or adopting any kind of building inspection code, would entail creating a new county department.

An officer of the permitting department was hired three months ago to work outside that office to help enforce the current subdivision ordinance.

The only guidelines on structures and obtaining permits are associated with complying with the federal flood protection program.

A public hearing is expected to be set Oct. 16 to gather public comment on amending the current ordinance regulating neighborhood development.