[AmericanMade1776]

I can understand in a historic district, where you are trying to maintain a certain era look.

[RegulatorCountry]

There is no "right" way to prune a crepe myrtle. You can prune lightly, to guide the overall shape, which leaves a nice form even in winter but sketchy foliage and blooms, which is the city's preference, or you can prune radically, which leads to very lush, exuberant foliage and blooms in the summer. It's an aesthetic decision. We argue back and forth down here, about which is "better," but people have been doing one or the other for a very long time.