McALLEN, Texas — Over the past ten years since SpaceX established its presence on the Texas coast, the company founded by billionaire Elon Musk has significantly impacted the area near the Mexico border, creating numerous job opportunities, launching rockets, and fostering new residential developments in a region known as Starbase.
Recently, SpaceX has expressed its desire to transform Starbase into an official city.
Residents living in proximity to this area, located at Boca Chica Beach at the southern tip of Texas, have initiated a request for a vote to incorporate the region. On Thursday, Musk announced on his platform X that “SpaceX HQ will now officially be in the city of Starbase, Texas!”
However, the process of facilitating this transformation into a municipality won’t occur immediately, and several uncertainties linger, notably what benefits incorporation might bring to both SpaceX and the local populace. Some local advocacy groups have raised alarms regarding the environmental effects linked to SpaceX’s activities.
Incorporation Process
The operations of SpaceX fall under Cameron County, which has a population of approximately 426,000 individuals. Eddie Treviño Jr., the elected official overseeing the county, confirmed that SpaceX has now formally submitted a petition to commence the process of becoming an official city.
“Our legal and elections administration will review the petition to ensure it meets all statutory requirements before we proceed further,” Treviño remarked.
Although he did not provide a specific timeline, Treviño mentioned that the county elections office would subsequently establish the voting jurisdiction and orchestrate the election.
Currently, neither SpaceX nor local authorities have disclosed the exact number of individuals residing in the area who would potentially be considered Starbase citizens. A local impact study released by Treviño earlier in the year indicated that more than 3,400 full-time employees and contractors work at the Starbase facility.
Implications of Becoming a City
Robert Greer, an associate professor specializing in municipal incorporation at the Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University, elaborated that for a small area to become a city, it must draft its own charter, develop essential services, enact local regulations, and impose taxes, which may have significant financial implications for residents and businesses alike.
“Establishing a city in a relatively small area grants a certain degree of control over that locality,” Greer noted.
According to SpaceX representatives, incorporating Starbase is crucial to fostering continued growth for the workforce and expanding company initiatives.
“Incorporating Starbase will simplify the procedures necessary to create the amenities that will position this area as a premier place to live, not just for those who already dwell here but also for prospective employees aspiring to contribute to humanity’s future in space,” stated Kathryn Lueders, the general manager of Starbase, in a letter addressed to the county this week.
SpaceX has encountered local opposition due to its impact on the environment; most recently, it faced allegations from a regional nonprofit group, Save RGV, which claimed the company was discharging contaminated water into a nearby bay. In response, SpaceX argued that a thorough state investigation uncovered no environmental hazards and branded the lawsuit as “frivolous.”
“Questions persist regarding what implications this initiative will have concerning county regulations and oversight,” expressed Jim Chapman, a board member of Save RGV.
A Growing Influence in Texas
Musk has been strategically expanding his business interests throughout Texas since moving to the state in 2020, leveraging its business-friendly environment.
The Tesla Gigafactory, a sprawling 10-million square foot facility dedicated to producing Cybertrucks, opened near Austin in 2022 and now serves as headquarters for the company.
In 2021, Musk relocated his tunnel construction venture, the Boring Company, to Bastrop, a community situated near Austin, and he has since envisioned constructing a “Texas utopia” for company employees to both live and work. While the Boring Company has established a modest community of mobile homes, it also operates the Boring Bodega, a local general store and gathering space.
Additionally, in 2023, Musk partnered with Texas Governor Greg Abbott to break ground on a Tesla lithium refinery near the coast of Corpus Christi—this refinery being vital for manufacturing electric vehicle batteries.
In September, Musk transitioned the headquarters of X from San Francisco to Bastrop, departing from the location that had housed the company since 2011.