On Saturday, voters in South Texas will decide if the area where SpaceX has its rocket company should become its own city. This could help SpaceX founder, Elon Musk, reach his dream of making the area a key site for space missions, including those to Mars. The approval of the new city is almost certain, as most of the 283 people eligible to vote are SpaceX employees or people connected to the company. Many of them live on the land where SpaceX operates, including the rocket launch site. By the time early voting ended on Tuesday, around 200 people had already voted, according to election records. It’s unclear if Musk, who didn’t vote in November’s election, plans to vote on Saturday.
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If the city vote passes, it will be a big win for Musk. SpaceX has been good for the local economy, creating jobs and bringing investments. However, turning the area into a company town has raised concerns. Some worry that Musk could gain too much control, like the power to close a popular beach and state park for rocket launches. There are also bills being considered in Texas that would give Starbase City, the proposed new city, more control over these closures instead of the county.
SpaceX has requested to increase the number of launches from five to 25 per year in South Texas. The proposed city, located at the southern tip of Texas near the Mexico border, is only about 1.5 square miles and is mostly made up of roads, trailers, and small homes. SpaceX hasn’t explained exactly why it wants to create a company town, but it has said the new city would help the company grow as a community. According to a letter from Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders, SpaceX already manages roads, utilities, schools, and medical care for the people living there.
SpaceX believes that giving the new city the power to close the beach would make things run more smoothly. This is important because rocket launches, engine tests, and even moving equipment around require closing the beach, a local highway, and Boca Chica State Park. Critics argue that this authority should stay with the county, which serves a larger group of people who also use the beach and park.
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Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, Jr. said that the county has worked well with SpaceX and doesn’t see the need for any changes. Another proposed bill would make it a crime to refuse to leave the beach during a SpaceX evacuation, with a possible jail sentence of up to 180 days. The South Texas Environmental Justice Network, a group against the city vote and the beach closure issue, is planning a protest on Saturday night when the polls close.
