I could see this also being intentional, given the permissions TL3 gives. For reference…
TL3 permissions
Users at trust level 3 can…
- Recategorize and rename topics
- Access a secure category only visible to users at trust level 3 and higher
- Have all their links followed (we remove automatic nofollow)
- TL3 spam flags cast on TL0 user posts immediately hide the post
- TL3 flags cast on TL0 user posts in sufficient diversity will auto-silence the user and hide all their posts
- Make their own posts wiki (that is, editable by any TL1+ users)
- Daily like, edit, and flag limits increased by 2×
A TL3-user is basically a moderator-light in some respects. I’m not sure how big a group you should be aiming for (and/or: how many users would actually use those features, on the other hand).