STARBASE, Texas — The Lone Star State has officially added a new city to its map, and it’s unlike any other. Starbase, a 1.6-square-mile municipality in Cameron County, has been incorporated following a vote by residents—most of whom are SpaceX employees.
The city, originally a remote launch site for Elon Musk’s SpaceX, has grown into a hub for space exploration and technology.
Musk celebrated the milestone on social media, declaring, “Starbase, Texas is now a real city!”.
The incorporation allows Starbase to establish a local government, including a mayor and two commissioners, all of whom have ties to SpaceX. FOX Business reported 212 people voted yes to establishing the city while six opposed, according to results published online by Cameron County.
The move has sparked debate, with supporters praising the city’s potential for innovation, while critics raise concerns about environmental impact and public access restrictions near the launch site.
The concerns are specifically based on the fact SpaceX was fined nearly $150,000 last year by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality for dumping waste water.
So, who's in charge now? FOX Business reported the city government will include a mayor and two commissioners who will have authority over planning, taxation and other local issues. The first mayor will be Bobby Peden, vice president of Texas' test and launch operations at SpaceX. He ran unopposed.
SpaceX has a road called Memes Street and a giant bust of Musk himself, which has been vandalized, according to BBC News. The face of the 12-foot statue of Musk was gashed during a period of nationwide protests against DOGE cuts to government.
"Before planting the bust near Starbase last summer, a Cybertruck hauled the newly unveiled sculpture through the nearby city of Brownsville as part of an event dubbed “Elon Day” on August 25," Hyperallergic reported.