By ALEXANDREA BAILEY
editor@portisabelsouthpadre.com
In a letter addressed to Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino, SpaceX submitted a petition requesting an election to determine whether or not Starbase should be incorporated as a city.
Elon Musk, the billionaire founder, CEO and “chief engineer” of SpaceX, has alluded to the incorporation of Starbase as a city for several years. A post on X, Musk’s social media platform, from 2021 reads:
“Creating the city of Starbase, Texas.” Now, in the last month of 2024, Musk is taking the official steps to make that idea a reality, despite the mixed feelings of some surrounding community members. In a recent X
post, dated Dec. 12, Musk reposted the letter, adding “SpaceX HQ will now officially be in the city of Starbase, Texas!”
“To continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship, we need the ability to grow Starbase as a community,” the letter reads.
The letter addressed to Trevino was signed by Kathryn Lueders, Starbase’s general manager. Formerly a NASA associate administrator of the Space Operations Mission Directorate, Lueders has worked for SpaceX
since May 2023. She has made public appearances on South Padre Island including a Coffee and Conversation event hosted by the South Padre Island Chamber of Commerce, where she provided an “update” to what was happening at SpaceX.
“SpaceX is proud to play a major role in the South Texas and Cameron County communities,” Lueders stated in the letter.
Trevino responded to the petition, clarifying that according to Texas law, to incorporate Starbase as a Type-C Municipality, the majority of registered voters in the proposed Starbase area would have to vote in
support. This would happen only after the county has reviewed the petition and confirmed its completeness and compliance with the statutory requirements for incorporation.
“The Office of the County Judge will work with the Civil Legal Division and the Election Office to review the petition and supporting documentation to ensure compliance with any and all statutory requirements
before proceeding,” stated Trevino.
Earlier this year, Trevino issued Starbase Local Impact economic statistics, which were “made available” by SpaceX itself. According to the report, SpaceX alleges it has spent $90 million dollars with 80+ RGV
suppliers for goods and services since January 2023 and estimates it will have an over $99-million-dollar economic impact from tourism at Starbase in 2025. Also, according to the report, SpaceX says it has 3,400 full-time employees has allegedly generated 21,400 indirect jobs in the local community.
“We are investing billions in infrastructure and generating hundreds of millions in income and taxes for local businesses and government, all with the goal of making South Texas the Gateway to Mars,” Lueders
stated in the letter.
According to the to the local impact study, SpaceX has invested $3 billion into Starbase infrastructure and its annual gross economic market value in the Rio Grande Valley sits at a resounding $6.5 billion.
“I want to thank SpaceX for their direct investment in the communities and school districts throughout Cameron County and for helping put south Texas on the map. While SpaceX is located in the unincorporated
territory of Cameron County, their presence has positively affected all the cities within Cameron County through increased tourism and new job opportunities. We look forward to additional growth and investment in the future as SpaceX carries on their mission to explore space, return us to the moon and colonize Mars,” stated Trevino earlier this year.
Lueders shows adamancy in the letter that the incorporation is necessary to streamline the required processes to construct amenities that would enhance Starbase as a “world-class place to live,” for those currently residing there, as well as potential future employees “eager to build humanity’s future in space.” According to SpaceX officials, there are currently several hundred SpaceX employees living at Starbase. Lueders made the point that SpaceX currently performs a multitude of civil functions in the Starbase area, including road and utilities management as well as providing schooling and medical care to residents. She says this is necessary because of Starbase’s “remote” location.
“Incorporation would move the management of some of these functions to a more appropriate public body,” stated Lueders.
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