Starbase, an area in Cameron County, Texas, is set to be officially recognized as a city, thanks to billionaire Elon Musk’s SpaceX company. This decision follows a recent election where SpaceX employees, who are the eligible voters, chose to incorporate the new municipality.
According to online results shared by Cameron County, 212 votes supported creating the city, while only six opposed it. Elon Musk, a resident of the area, celebrated the news with a post on X saying, “Starbase, Texas, is now a real city!”
However, not everyone is pleased. Some local residents have voiced concerns regarding the establishment of this new city, accusing SpaceX of causing environmental damage. Last year, SpaceX faced a fine of nearly $150,000 for waste dumping, imposed by both the US Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality.
The idea of making Starbase a city has been discussed for years, but it was a petition in December that finally set the stage for the recent vote. The new city government will consist of a mayor and two commissioners who will handle planning, taxation, and other local issues. Bobby Peden, who works as the Vice President of Texas Testing and Launch Operations at SpaceX, has been appointed as the first mayor, along with two other SpaceX-affiliated residents as commissioners.
Before SpaceX started acquiring land in 2012, the area that will now become Starbase was simply referred to as C-City. Since then, the company has transformed the landscape significantly, naming some roads in a playful twist, like Memes Street and even after Musk himself.
In addition, a bill currently being discussed in the Texas Legislature would empower Starbase officials to close local highways and restrict access to nearby Boca Chica Beach and State Parks during rocket launches. Presently, these closures are managed by the county, particularly in coordination with launches from SpaceX, impacting nearby cities like Brownsville and the resort destination of South Padre Island.
