McALLEN, Texas: A county in Texas has approved an election that will let people living near SpaceX decide whether to create a new city called Starbase.
The election is set for May 3, and only residents near the SpaceX launch site in Cameron County, along the U.S.-Mexico border, can vote.
In December, over 70 residents, most of them SpaceX employees signed a petition asking to make Starbase an official town. According to the petition, the area has more than 100 children. County Judge Eddie Trevino said the petition met state rules, and the election could go forward.
"If approved, this will be the first new town in Cameron County since 1995," Trevino said.
SpaceX has said forming a city would help develop local services and amenities, but some environmentalists worry about the impact of more construction.
SpaceX started building its Texas launch site in 2014. Today, it owns almost all 250 lots within the proposed city. A county study found that more than 3,400 full-time employees and contractors work at Starbase.
Elon Musk has been expanding his businesses in Texas since moving there in 2020. His Tesla Gigafactory, which makes Cybertrucks, opened near Austin in 2022 and serves as Tesla's headquarters.
