BIRMINGHAM, Ala. AP – Commissioners in Alabama’s most populous county decided Monday against making payments on a $3.2 billion sewer debt until Sept. 30, a move Gov. Bob Riley said allows time for talks to possibly avoid filing the largest municipal bankruptcy in U.S. history.

Riley, answering reporters’ questions in Montgomery, said the decision by the Jefferson County commissioners allows “some breathing time” for additional negotiations with creditors on restructuring the county’s huge debt.