The proposal for a joint fire district in Whitestown has been defeated, despite two of three communities approving the measure.

Voters in the town of Whitestown and villages of Oriskany and Whitesboro hit the polls Tuesday.

Under the proposal, the two village fire departments would have merged.

Residents in both villages passed the proposal, but it failed in Whitestown 873 to 598.

Supporters said the plan would lead to increased safety at a lower cost, while opponents said they still had a lot of questions, including how the five commissioners for the new district would be chosen.

Oriskany Fire Department Fire Chief Jeff Burkhart said this defeat could mean the idea of merging at all goes up in smoke.

"We would have to go back to the drawing board and then start the whole process over, but as it sits right now-the way that it is, the way that the law reads, it basically makes it so that if any one of those three says 'no', the whole proposal is struck down," said Burkhart.

In all, between the three communities more than 2,200 residents turned out to cast their ballots.