Overview
- Residents of the Boca Chica area, primarily SpaceX employees, voted 212-6 to incorporate as the City of Starbase, formalizing SpaceX's control over the area.
- Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice president, was elected unopposed as the city's first mayor, alongside two other SpaceX-affiliated commissioners.
- The incorporation shifts zoning and permitting authority from Cameron County to the new Starbase city government, streamlining development for SpaceX operations.
- SpaceX is backing a pending Texas bill that would transfer weekday beach-closure authority from the county to Starbase, sparking concerns over public access and environmental impact.
- Environmental and indigenous groups, including the Carrizo/Comecrudo Tribe, continue to protest the potential loss of access to Boca Chica Beach and the ecological effects of SpaceX's expansion.