(SBT24/7News) The U.S. Department of Transportation has run out the clock on any possible time zone switch for St. Joseph County.

A request by the county commissioners for an extension of the period for filing a petition to move St. Joseph County into the Central time zone has been denied by the DOT.

"I’m extremely disappointed," said County Commissioner President Steve Ross, D-2nd. "At a minimum, they should have given us a fair hearing."

Instead of a hearing, the commissioners got a letter from Judith Kaleta, the DOT’s senior counsel for dispute resolution.

The letter was in response to a letter sent by Ross and Commissioner Robert Kovach, D-3rd, asking for the time extension to allow a "possible" petition to move the county into the Central time zone.

The extension request was necessary because a DOT filing deadline established in a case involving several southwestern Indiana counties had expired.

A DOT ruling in January 2006 left St. Joseph in the Eastern time zone, ending a long debate as well as the possibility that St. Joseph and Elkhart counties could be in different time zones.

In the letter, Kaleta told the commissioners that while the DOT gives "substantial consideration to local elected officials," the DOT will "not consider any petitions for a time zone change from any elected officials in Indiana until Nov. 4, 2008."

Ross said his intent now is to try again next year, based on his belief in the economic benefits to the county of being in a time zone with Chicago instead of with the East Coast.