Group seeking to lower Baltimore’s property tax rate falls short of amendment signature goal

A coalition of former city officials, business executives, academics and economists that sought a ballot referendum that would have cut city homeowners’ property tax rates fell short of the number of signatures it needed to get on the ballot, the group said Monday. Renew Baltimore, which wanted to reduce the property tax rate by 44% over a six-year period, said it obtained about 9,000 signatures of the 10,000 required to put the question to voters. The group was collecting signatures for two petitions, one to amend the city charter and the other to set and cap city property tax rates