The ball is now in Warren County’s court.

The Board of Mayor and Aldermen Tuesday approved a resolution adopting an interlocal agreement to provide ambulance service to residents of Warren County outside the Vicksburg city limits.

Both boards Aug. 28 approved the two-year contract to continue the county’s ambulance service agreement with the city of Vicksburg. But the contract cannot be implemented until the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and the Board of Supervisors each pass a resolution approving an interlocal agreement, which under state law is required for city ambulances to go outside the city limits, and the Attorney General’s Office approves it.

Now the city is waiting on the Board of Supervisors to approve a similar resolution. The resolution was not on the supervisors’ agenda for its Tuesday meeting, according to county administrator John Smith.

Smith said the item was not on the Tuesday meeting’s agenda because he wanted the supervisors to be comfortable with the way the resolution written.

“The city has sent all the paperwork over, and (board attorney) Blake (Teller) and I are comfortable with it, but I want my board to feel comfortable with it,” he said. “We already have authorization for (board president) Richard (George) to sign it once we approve it.”

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, and the Board of Mayor and Aldermen’s vote were unanimous.

The agreement was developed several days before a Board of Supervisors vote that could have put the county with a private ambulance service, continues the emergency services agreement the city and county have had since 1967.

“I’m glad we were able to reach an agreement and I applaud everyone who was involved in it,” Mayor George Flaggs Jr. said. “Now we need to be more accountable on quantifying the runs.”

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.