Elon Musk has an ambitious plan for a new city to be named Starbase. Residents are preparing to vote on its incorporation, making what was once just speculation into an imminent reality. The new municipality would cover just over 1.6 square miles (3.9 square kilometers), entirely in and around Boca Chica, Texas. Since 2012, it has proudly hosted SpaceX’s southern rocket launch facility. Impacts to air, water and climate have become more apparent and more problematic. Environmental activists accuse SpaceX of devastating Boca Chica Village and have triggered a renewal debate over the community’s future that continues today.
That petition filed in December 2024 soon led to an incorporation movement that gained significant momentum. This momentum was affecting the atmosphere heading into the initial vote. It’s an initiative that has been discussed for years. Until very recently, actual measures to create Starbase as an official municipality finally gained traction. Starbase’s status as a Type C city, therefore, with under 5,000 inhabitants, is ambiguous. Local officials there are the ones who can set a property tax rate as high as 1.5%, the Texas Municipal League told us.
In 2024, the environmental impact problem blew up with SpaceX receiving significant accountability. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality penalized the company close to $150,000 for dumping wastewater in unauthorized places. Local activist groups say the company’s day-to-day operations have severely damaged the surrounding affected ecosystem. This has raised tensions among local residents and SpaceX.
Nearly all of the 283 eligible voters at Starbase are SpaceX employees. Data reveals that these individuals were ready to take advantage of early voting opportunities. If the measure passes, retired Air Force officer Bobby Peden will be the new city’s first mayor. As he runs unopposed, two other local residents are battling to unseat their half of the commission. This hopeful scenario, coming on the heels of these cuts, still leads us to wonder what kind of governance a city made nearly entirely of company employees would have.
Creation of Starbase would likely lead to conflicts with county officials. These disputes may soon be played out over access to Boca Chica Beach, threatening the future of local governance. In the long term, SpaceX hopes to significantly increase its launch cadence, from five to 25 launches annually. A recently proposed bill in the Texas state legislature could empower Starbase officials to close local highways and restrict access to Boca Chica Beach and Boca Chica State Park during rocket launches and other corporate activities.
Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. strongly opposes the state bill. His main concern is how it will impact the public’s access to and use of their natural resources. The potential for conflict between Starbase city officials and county representatives underscores the complexities of balancing corporate interests with community needs.
Elon Musk’s impact here is absolutely undeniable. You can experience it in distinctive attractions such as Memes Street and a colossal bust of him, although sadly the bust was just recently vandalized. These characters represent the deep relationship SpaceX has with its home town. They do equally expose the recent controversies that have shrouded the company’s operations.