JACKSON – The Northampton Board of County Commissioners approved the purchase of vehicles for emergency services, approved tax appeals, and made changes to the zoning ordinance Monday afternoon.

Ron Storey, EMS director, said emergency services needed a new ambulance to keep the fleet up.

Northampton County Ambulance Service received three bids for the lease purchase of a 2016 Chevrolet G4500 ambulance from companies that had all previously conducted business with the county.

EMS selected the low bid for the project by Select Custom Apparatus for $138,094.

The commissioners voted unanimously to approve the purchase.

Storey also asked permission to purchase a vehicle capable of towing the county’s command and support trailer and that would also be capable of holding the medical and rehab equipment used for firefighter rehab and responding to EMS calls.

The department has been using a 2004 Ford Explorer, but it is no longer capable of getting the job done and has nearly 180,000 miles on it.

Storey requested the lease purchase of a 2016 Ford F-350 Crew Cab ¾ ton, four-wheel drive truck with a service body and towing package.

White Motors of Roanoke Rapids agreed to sell the truck to Northampton County EMS for $38,572 at the state contract price.

The commissioners also unanimously approved the purchase.

Tax Administrator Cathy Allen then brought 15 ad valorem tax appeals totaling $2,484.71 for release.

The release could be granted by the commissions for one of three reasons: (1) tax imposed by clerical error, (2) an illegal tax, or (3) tax leveled for an illegal purpose.

The taxes appealed were for listing errors, so the commissioners granted all 15 appeals.

Allen also brought 27 property tax appeals on motor vehicles totaling $1,660.19.

The same three reasons applied for appeals. Some vehicles had been totaled, some sold, and some registered in another state.

The commissioners unanimously granted all 27 appeals.

William Flynn, the county’s planning and zoning director, brought nine amendments to the zoning ordinance.

Flynn said the staff-generated changes were being submitted “as housekeeping items to clean up some text or for purposes of adding new uses and modifying some of the uses currently allowed in some of the districts.”

After Flynn presented all nine zoning ordinance changes, the commissioners approved each on individually. All nine votes were unanimous.