Because crime is an important issue.. . . or somewhere in the Midwest in a city that is in economic decline instead of the South?
And even if the crime rate is "only" 30% above baseline, that's still significant.
In addition, the city may be stretched thin financially. If it's bond rating goes down, it may need to raise taxes. City roads, water, sewerage are probably slightly unstaffed, more so than normal. It's an older city, like cities in the North and Midwest are, with a more steady population, then pensions of retired city workers will likely be a bigger percentage of the city budget as compared to a relatively fast-growing city like Atlanta where there aren't that many pension recipients compared to a now bigger population.
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