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On May 3, 2025, residents living near SpaceX’s launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, voted overwhelmingly in favor of Starbase city incorporation, turning the privately developed area into Texas’ newest official municipality.
The final vote count was 212 to 6. Most participants were SpaceX employees or their families. The newly incorporated city of Starbase now covers 1.6 square miles near the Gulf Coast, with a population of around 500.
Takeaway: What started as a launch site is now a legal city—with corporate roots and interplanetary ambitions.
SpaceX Staff Now Running the Show
Bobby Peden, SpaceX’s Vice President of Testing and Launches, was elected unopposed as mayor. Two commissioners—Jordan Buss and Jenna Petrzelka, also from SpaceX—will join him in running city operations.
With almost all residents employed by or affiliated with the company, Starbase city incorporation cements SpaceX’s dominant influence in both governance and land control.
Takeaway: City leadership and community oversight are now tightly linked to SpaceX’s internal hierarchy.
What Incorporation Means in Practice
With city status, Starbase gains authority over zoning, local taxes, infrastructure development, and permit approvals—powers that directly benefit SpaceX’s rapid construction and launch schedule.
The Starbase city incorporation also gives officials the ability to authorize closures of roads or public beaches during rocket launches, bypassing county-level bureaucracy.
Critics warn this could restrict public access to Boca Chica Beach and reduce regulatory oversight of high-impact industrial activity.
Takeaway: Local power now resides in the hands of the same people driving the rockets.
From Deserted Coastline to Corporate Hub
Before 2012, the area was largely empty. Then SpaceX started acquiring land—and building infrastructure. In just over a decade, the region became essential to Elon Musk’s Mars colonization vision.
Musk publicly floated the “Starbase” name in 2021, but the formal Starbase city incorporation only gained steam after a December 2024 petition triggered the special election.
Takeaway: A quiet corner of Texas is now home to a city built for space travel.
Not Everyone’s Onboard
Environmental groups and some longtime regional residents remain concerned. Activists warn about the potential for unchecked expansion, beach access restrictions, and environmental damage from rocket debris and chemical runoff.
Bekah Hinojosa of the South Texas Environmental Justice Network criticized the vote, calling it an example of corporate overreach. The beach, she noted, is often referred to as “the poor people’s beach”—and may soon face new restrictions.
Takeaway: While the vote passed easily, it’s also stirred fresh debate about corporate cities and public access.
What Comes Next
The election results must now be certified by Cameron County. Once confirmed, a judge will issue a formal order finalizing the Starbase city incorporation and activating its new local government.
The mayor and commissioners will assume responsibility for city operations—though their primary mission remains tied to SpaceX’s long-term expansion and launch infrastructure.
Final Takeaway: The U.S. just got a new city—with one company at the center of it all.
