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Starbase Incorporation Vote Underway as SpaceX Eyes Municipal Control

Ballots are being cast in a vote largely dominated by SpaceX employees to establish the 1.5-square-mile Starbase municipality, with results expected on May 3.

SpaceX's Starbase facility near Boca Chica Village in South Texas on February 10, 2022.
A row of homes located on SpaceX owned property near Starbase on Wednesday, Dec. 4, 2024, in Brownsville, Texas.
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Overview

  • Voting has begun to incorporate Starbase, a proposed city in South Texas centered around SpaceX operations, with the outcome expected to favor incorporation due to the voter base being 90% SpaceX employees and their families.
  • If approved, Starbase would gain authority over closures of Texas State Highway 4 and Boca Chica Beach, simplifying logistics for SpaceX’s rocket launches.
  • Two Texas Legislature bills, SB2188 and HB4660, seek to formalize the city's authority over beach closures, with testimony from SpaceX leadership emphasizing operational benefits.
  • Environmental and local activists oppose the move, arguing it threatens Texas’s open beaches laws and public access to coastal areas.
  • The proposed municipality would span 1.5 square miles along the Gulf Coast, housing SpaceX’s workforce and solidifying its presence in the region.