Elon Musk’s Starbase City in Texas Nears Official Status Amid Rapid Development
A pivotal vote on Saturday could lead to the official incorporation of a new city at Texas’s southernmost edge, where Elon Musk’s SpaceX has established a major presence.
Residents of the region are casting ballots on whether to turn the Boca Chica Village area into a municipality named Starbase. The majority of the 283 eligible voters—mostly SpaceX employees—have already participated in early voting, according to county records.
If approved, Starbase would form a local government composed of a mayor and two commissioners, with authority over zoning, taxation, and other municipal matters. However, some locals have pushed back, expressing concerns about environmental degradation tied to the company’s expansion.
The proposed boundaries span approximately 1.6 square miles (3.9 square kilometers), an area that was sparsely inhabited until SpaceX began purchasing property there in 2012. Since then, the region has seen the construction of company housing and SpaceX infrastructure, as well as Musk’s personal residence. Symbols of Musk’s influence are evident—such as a road named “Memes Street” and a large bust of Musk that was recently defaced.
An estimated 500 people reside in the broader vicinity. Although speculation about city incorporation has circulated for years, it was a petition submitted in December 2024 that formally initiated the current vote.
Should the measure pass, Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice president, would become the city’s first mayor, running unopposed along with two other candidates for commissioner roles. The BBC attempted to contact Mr. Peden for comment.
Starbase would fall under the Type C city classification, reserved for municipalities with fewer than 5,000 residents. This designation would permit officials to impose a property tax rate of up to 1.5%, per Texas Municipal League guidelines.
Pending legislation in the Texas statehouse could also grant Starbase leaders the ability to restrict access to public roads and surrounding areas—like Boca Chica Beach and Boca Chica State Park—during rocket launches or other operations. At present, such closures are managed by Cameron County, which also oversees the neighboring city of Brownsville and the tourist hub of South Padre Island.
Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. has voiced opposition to the proposed law, warning it could lead to disputes over beach access as SpaceX looks to ramp up launch frequency from five to as many as 25 annually at the Texas site.
Over recent years, Elon Musk has shifted many of his businesses and corporate bases from California to Texas, citing regulatory benefits and dissatisfaction with California’s political climate. Headquarters for both X and The Boring Company are now located near Bastrop, close to Austin and roughly five and a half hours north of the Starbase area.
Unlike Starbase, however, the Bastrop development has added little new housing for employees, most of whom live in surrounding towns.
Environmental organizations continue to voice criticism of SpaceX’s operations, pointing to disruption of local wildlife, increased light pollution, and debris from rocket tests. In 2024, SpaceX was fined nearly $150,000 by both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for alleged wastewater violations.
The company attributed the fines to “paperwork discrepancies” and maintains that it complies with all environmental standards. The BBC sought comment from SpaceX.
