Elon Musk wants a town for SpaceX

Texas could soon get a new town—led by SpaceX staff. Today, about 280 eligible voters, most of them SpaceX employees living in company-owned housing, will vote on whether to incorporate Starbase, the rocket base near Brownsville, as an official municipality.

CEO Elon Musk floated the idea in 2021, citing Starbase would improve coordination around rocket launches. 

If approved, the new town would gain legal powers like taxing, borrowing, and overseeing roads, education, and beach closures.

The company’s vice president of Texas testing, Bobby Peden, is running for mayor, while two other employees are vying for commissioner seats. As town leaders, they can give Musk’s company a more direct say in local decision-making.

The site, home to the Starship rocket, employs about 3,400 workers. The company has invested $1.5 billion annually in the area, transforming it into a launch and manufacturing hub.

But critics worry it will give the company too much power and limit beach access for residents. People living in Brownsville are also unhappy with the increasing number of SpaceX employees moving in and the rising property prices in the region.