Cities do this, of course, in order to grow their tax base so they can continue to provide a dwindling variety of 'services' to their communities. In Canada, provincial and federal governments have largely abandoned towns and cities to their own devices and this is about all they can do to survive. The federal and provincial governments have so bastardized the collection of income tax that it is no longer sustainable and unable to help fund municipalities - the rich get off close to scot free, and the not so rich pay all the bills. Unfortunately, the not so rich don't have as much to give.
Fortunately, in almost every North American municipality there are people willing to stand up to this nonsense.
Have a look at this one, and think about whether there is anything you can or should do to help your own community to survive with some semblance of the natural world still intact.
- prh