Significance of local authority and station ratings...

[MythTrip]

To clarify, for newbies, your local authority rating is the town governments opinion of you (click on white town name, at bottom left of box is local authority), while your station rating your companies transport efficiency from that specific station (click on colored station name, lower left of box is "rating"). Factors that contribute to both can be found here:
https://wiki.openttd.org/en/Manual/Game%20Mechanics/

So I get that a station rating, if higher than your competitors, will draw more passengers/cargo to that station - it makes sense, as if you give better service you will get more business than your competitors
But town government - local authority - rating seems less important. What does it affect? If its really low they wont allow you to build in the town zone, but I have never experienced that, and I've bulldozed plenty of buildings and cut many trees to piss off the governments.
Is there anything I'm missing with town governments? Why would I try to impress them with ad campaigns and planting trees etc?

[locosage]

You really didn't destroy much if you never had authority kicking you out :p
Or you have a magic bulldozer enabled or play on a server with authority script.