FORT WAYNE, IN (Indiana's NewsCenter) --- Time is running out on a solution for how to fund bridge repairs across Allen County next year.

A plan laid out to address the situation is going nowhere fast.

The City of Fort Wayne and Allen County government talk a lot about collaboration and cooperation, but those concepts don't seem to be working on how to pay for fixing bridges.

Allen County government leaders several weeks ago sent out letters to the various cities and towns, essentially saying we can't pick up the tab all alone anymore.

Starting January 1st, Fort Wayne, New Haven, and other municipalities will be responsible for fixing their own bridges, unless all entities formally request a wheel tax/surtax increase, and agree to remit the extra proceeds over to the county for bridge maintenance.

Not a single local unit of government has responded with a June 30 deadline bearing down.

The City of Fort Wayne is uncomfortable with the plan, and that's brought everything to a halt.

Roger Clayton/(D) New Haven City Council: " We're waiting to see what Fort Wayne does, because they're the 800 pound gorilla in this. If they don't do it, and all the rest of us smaller cities all went with it, it wouldn't work anyway."

Darren Vogt/(R) County Council: " Right now it stands that we're not going to raise any taxes to do anything for the bridges. Realistically, they've got to come before us with a unified plan and right now there isn't one of those unified plans."

The county has money set aside for repairs to bridges in its jurisdiction for next year.

The other entities will have to come up with an alternative plan for their bridge repairs, or delay repairs until 2010.

Allen County's bridge inventory is in good shape, but the Minneapolis bridge collapse last summer serves as a reminder that neglecting bridge maintenance comes with a big price tag to public safety.