Baltimore's property tax rate measure won't be on ballot. Here's why city officials are relieved.

BALTIMORE -- A ballot measure aimed at cutting Baltimore City's property tax rate nearly in half will not appear on November's ballot.

Some officials are breathing a sigh of relief for what the mayor has called a measure that could have bankrupted the city.

A letter from the City Elections Director Armstead Jones says an effort to lower Baltimore City's property tax rate through a ballot initiative violates state law.

Only elected officials can set the property tax rate, not city voters.

ReNew Baltimore, the group behind the initiative, collected more than 23,000 signatures.

In a statement, ReNew Baltimore says they will  fight the ruling in court and "are confident that the tens of thousands of Baltimore citizens who support a fair and competitive tax rate will ultimately prevail."

Opponents of the measure rallied at a Southwest Baltimore firehouse last month and argued the measure would be disastrous to city services.

"We'd have to lay off about 400 firefighters and more than 120 EMTs," said Chris Myer, a research analyst for the Maryland Center on Economic Policy. "We'd have to close every Safe Streets Violence Prevention site. There will be no more street or alley cleaning. We'll have to cut back on school nurses and neighborhood health visits."

Baltimore City has the highest tax rate in the state at more than 2.2%.

Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott on Wednesday called the proposal "irresponsible," saying if the city got a guaranteed share of the state's sales tax generated in Baltimore, property taxes could be cut considerably.

"I'm going to continue to fight for a responsible, responsible reduction in property taxes in Baltimore, not what these folks want to do," Scott said.