Westport voters soundly rejected a proposed $3 million override to Proposition 2 1/2 Tuesday, in a vote that officials said could have profound ramifications for future town and school budgets.

In unofficial results that have not yet been certified, the measure failed 1,098 to 1,664. Voting was light, with just 2,762 voters showing up at the polls, and the question failed at all five town polling places.

With Tuesday’s override rejection, Westport continues a long tradition of voting down overrides to the state law that mandates that the tax levy rise no more than 2.5 percent every year. Of 20 override votes held in the 41 years since Proposition 2 1/2 has existed, voters have now rejected 18 of them.

Town officials had stumped for an override since last year, and a necessary first step — a $1 override appropriation approved at the Town Meeting in May — passed. That $1 million appropriation, which would have given additional funds to the school, police, fire and highway departments, among other town offices, would have been spendable this summer but was contingent on Tuesday’s vote passing. Without the $1 million approved at the Town Meeting, officials have said departments will have to make serious staffing and other financial decisions soon.

The override would have permanently increased the town tax levy limit by $3 million and would have resulted in a $225 yearly tax increase this year for the owner of a $500,000 home. If it passed Tuesday, the tax rate would have increased from the current $8.38 to $8.83 per $1,000 of assessed value.

Though too early to say what fiscal changes could be coming this year and in the coming years, select board member Shana Shufelt said at a public forum prior to the vote that the town needs the money, and services will absolutely be impacted without it.

“I think so much of the conversation of the override is about the dollars and not enough about he value of the services we get,” she said. “If you vote ‘No,’ I really challenge you to become part of the budgeting process and tell us what you do not value anymore. What are we doing that we need to stop doing, because we cannot keep doing what we are doing. We know a ‘Yes’ vote gets you an extra police officer, gets you an extra paramedic, gets you another building inspector, some extra money for the council on aging, and a chunk of money for the schools.”

But if you vote ‘No,’ she said, “You’re really talking about having to make significant cuts. If we don’t make a change to the levy limit ... everything is at risk.”

With the override vote's failure, the $1 million in appropriations approved in May will not be spent. Had it passed, funds would have been spent this year on the following:

• $405,000 to Westport Community Schools;

• $250,000 into the town's stabilization fund;

• $75,000 to police department salaries;

• $66,000 to fire department salaries;

• $65,000 to building department salaries;

• $60,000 to highway department salaries;

• $55,000 to information technology expenses;

• $19,000 to Council on Aging expenses;

• $5,000 to Council on Aging salaries.