Elon Musk’s SpaceX launch site in southern Texas has officially become a city named Starbase after a local vote.
Residents, most of whom are SpaceX employees, voted overwhelmingly in favor of incorporating the area, with 212 votes for and only six against.
Starbase will cover 1.6 square miles and have its own local government, including a mayor and two commissioners.
Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice-president, was elected unopposed as the city’s first mayor.
Starbase is now classified as a Type C city, allowing it to levy property taxes and manage local planning.
The incorporation has drawn criticism from nearby residents and environmental groups over SpaceX’s environmental impact.
A bill in the Texas legislature may give Starbase officials authority to close nearby roads and beaches during rocket launches.
Environmental regulators fined SpaceX nearly $150,000 in 2024 for wastewater violations, which the company dismissed as paperwork issues.
Musk, who relocated several company operations to Texas, celebrated the vote by declaring, “Starbase, Texas is now a real city!”
The vote sets the stage for potential conflict between Starbase and Cameron County over public access to Boca Chica Beach.
