A last-minute effort to increase funding for the My Place Teen Center in the Westbrook city budget failed Monday night.

The Westbrook City Council voted, 4-2, in favor of next year’s budget proposal during a first reading and vote. Council President Brendan Rielly recused himself because his law firm completes work for the city. The budget will require a second reading and vote in two weeks, and the school portion will require approval from voters in June.

The total spending plan for the fiscal year that starts July 1 is $64.4 million. If approved, the property tax rate would go from $18.40 per $1,000 of assessed value to $19.34. That increase – 94 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, or more than 5 percent – would be the largest for Westbrook residents in eight years.

The spike comes primarily from health insurance costs and contracted salary increases. The city council had been divided on a plan to increase funding for social service organizations, but the budget proposal on the table Monday would keep those contributions level with the current year. On that list is the teen center, which requested $100,000 but is slated to receive $40,000.

Several people – two teenagers, a handful of volunteers and Mayor Mike Sanphy – spoke Monday in support of the teen center. But two efforts to increase funding by $20,000 and $60,000 failed on split votes, so the city’s contribution will not change.

A final reading and vote on the proposed budget will take place May 15 at Westbrook High School.