Overview

• Starbase, Texas, is now a Type C municipality following a near-unanimous vote by eligible residents, most of whom are SpaceX employees.
• The new city will streamline SpaceX operations by granting local control over permitting, taxation, and potential authority to close public roads and beaches for launches.
• Bobby Peden, a SpaceX vice president, was elected unopposed as the city's first mayor, alongside two SpaceX-affiliated commissioners.
• Environmental advocates have raised concerns about potential impacts, including habitat destruction, pollution, and restricted public access to Boca Chica Beach.
• State legislation is under consideration to transfer closure authority from Cameron County to Starbase, pending judicial certification of the election results.