> However, I'm reminded that city governments have zero incentive to streamline the process.

I closed last year on my new home northwest of Houston. The suburb is one that's growing like crazy, but still is run like the small town it was once was. (We didn't get a water bill for some 3+ months due to a ransomware attack).

The final certificate of occupancy was potentially held up due to the one person who signs off on them, who wears multiple hats and apparently only processed them one day a week. If you got on his bad side (and this included trying to bribe him to hurry up), he'll put yours at the bottom of the stack.

Try systemizing and scaling your way around that.