Home-Owners, Renters, and Bureaucrats: A Redistributional Analysis of Municipal Incorporation

What are the reasons why a newly developed urban area might choose to incorporate as a separate municipality rather than be annexed to a neighboring city? The most frequent initial response to this question, given by proponents of incorporation, is "to gain local control"; but this response is too vague to be very helpful. Certainly, the creation of an autonomous, authoritative local government is undertaken in order to ensure that local rather than nonlocal interests will control decision -- but which decisions? What aspect of municipal government is so vital that some individuals will donate hundreds of hours a year, for as long as ten years, to ensure that the local community becomes incorporated rather than annexed?