Latest news with #EddieTrevinoJr.
Yahoo
30-04-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Starbase incorporation vote nears; company cites growth for Starship development
Apr. 29—Once the results of the May 3 election are counted, canvassed and ratified by Cameron County, it's very likely Starbase, Texas, will be the state's newest municipality. In December, county Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. received a petition from more than 10% of the several hundred eligible voters who are residents of Starbase — SpaceX's name for its Starship/Super Heavy construction and testing complex centered around the currently unincorporated Boca Chica Village — requesting that an incorporation election be called. Since the petition met the requirements set forth by the Texas Local Government Code, Trevino was required by law to call an election, which he scheduled for May 3 to coincide with the statewide Uniform Election. Assuming Starbase voters approve the ballot question, Starbase will be incorporated as a Type C general law municipality, or one with more than 201 but fewer than 4,999 residents. According to Trevino, the last new municipality to be incorporated in Cameron County was Los Indios, in 1995. According to the petition, the territory of the proposed municipality consists of approximately 1.45 square miles. According to state law, a proposed municipality of fewer than 2,000 residents cannot incorporate if the surface area exceeds 2 square miles. Starbase has been recognized as a "distinct area within Cameron County" according to resolutions approved by the county commissioners court and Brownsville City Commission. The December petition was signed by Gunnar Milburn, senior security manager at Starbase and then sole candidate for mayor, though the new sole mayoral candidate is Bobby Peden, vice president of SpaceX Texas test and launch operations, whose name appears on the May 3 ballot. The petition was also signed by Jordan Buss and Jenna Petrzelka, whose names appear on the ballot as Starbase city commission candidates. Buss's ballot application form lists his occupation as environmental health and safety director, while Petrzelka's application form lists her occupation as "philanthropist." In a cover letter to the petition, Starbase General Manager Kathryn Lueders wrote that SpaceX hoped to incorporate Starbase in order to keep growing it, and by extension "continue growing the workforce necessary to rapidly develop and manufacture Starship." Incorporation would streamline the building of "amenities necessary to make the area a world-class place to live" for current resident/employees and those to come, she said. "As you know, through agreements with the County, SpaceX currently performs several civil functions around Starbase due to its remote location, including management of the roads, utilities, and the provision of schooling and medical care for the residents," Lueders wrote. "Incorporation would move the management of some of these functions to a more appropriate public body." SpaceX's last two suborbital test flights (Flights 7 and 8) from Boca Chica/Starbase, on Jan. 16 and March 6, ended with the loss of the Starship test vehicles over the Caribbean. No date has been announced for Flight 9. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
County chimes in on 'numerous questions' over Starbase election
Feb. 14—Close on the heels of a similar statement earlier this week from Brownsville City Commissioner Tino Villarreal, and in response to a large volume of public feedback over a scheduled election on whether to incorporate SpaceX's Starbase as a Type C municipality, Cameron County on Friday released its own statement attempting to clarify what's happening. SpaceX/Starbase submitted a petition to the county on Dec. 12 that satisfied the Texas Local Government Code's requirements for the calling of an election by residents to decide incorporation. A Type C municipality contains between 201 and 4,999 residents. County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. announced the scheduling of the Starbase incorporation election for May 3 to coincide with the General Election. Not everyone was pleased to hear the news, especially the percentage of county residents who already disagreed with what SpaceX is doing at Boca Chica. "The Office of the Cameron County Judge has received numerous questions regarding the order calling for an incorporation election for Starbase," the county's statement reads. "In an effort to provide additional information and clarity on some of the state statutes, some of these questions have been compiled." The first question addressed is whether the county judge "has a choice" when it comes to calling an incorporation election. The answer is "no," since county judges — Trevino in this case — are required under Texas Local Government Code 8.003 to call the an incorporation election when all statutory requirements have been met. As for who gets to vote in the election, only registered voters who reside within the geographical boundaries of the area to be incorporated (Starbase) can vote, so only Starbase residents can vote, the county said. The county added that an election for Starbase municipal officials will also take place on May 3. "The election for city officials will be held at the same time," the county said. "Any registered voter who meets the qualification for candidacy set forth by the Texas Election Code, resides in the boundaries and files an application at our office by the deadline of March 3 ... is eligible to run." If voters approve Starbase incorporation, the county judge is required to recognize Starbase as a Type C municipality, while Starbase itself will be required to "follow all state and federal statutes that regulate municipalities such as electing officials, conducting open meetings, responding to public information requests, providing emergency and support services, etc.," according to the statement. The county also emphasized that Starbase, if it becomes a municipality, will not be able to close S.H. 4 and Boca Chica Beach anytime they feel like it. That authority belongs to the county alone, according to the statement. "Under Texas Natural Resources Code 61.132, Cameron County has the authority to temporarily close the beach to protect the public health, safety and welfare," according to the statement. City Commissioner Villarreal told The Brownsville Herald on Thursday that his understanding is that SpaceX is in Austin lobbying for the state to take over that authority, adding that the mayor and city commission consider SpaceX a "phenomenal partner." Maps of the proposed Starbase incorporation area can be found at here. Judge Trevino could not be reached for comment as of press time. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
15-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
'This is going to happen': Brownsville official tries to appease Starbase election complaints
Feb. 13—Brownsville City Commissioner At-Large "A" Tino Villarreal Jr., in a statement following Cameron County's announcement of an election to decide whether Starbase will be incorporated as a Type C municipality, seeks to clear up some misconceptions about the process while underlining the importance of continued public access to Boca Chica Beach. County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr. announced Wednesday that the incorporation election will coincide with the general election on May 3, with early voting taking place April 22-29. Villarreal's statement, in response to a high volume of constituent complaints he's received on the issue, points out that most if not all the eligible voters in the election will be SpaceX employees who already live at Starbase, which by the way virtually guarantees a "yes" vote. "This is not an election where we get to vote," he told The Brownsville Herald. "This is an election where, by state law, it's pretty clear, that the people who get to vote are only the people who live in the new proposed incorporated city limits. This is going to happen. The vote's going to go through." Villarreal likewise emphasized that it was not Cameron County Judge Eddie Trevino Jr.'s decision to call the election. Rather, the judge was required to call an election by Section 8.009 of the Texas Local Government Code, as the county noted in its announcement, because the petitioners met all the legal requirements. "Any area in the state can ask for a vote," Villarreal said. "If they file correctly and they follow all the legal necessary paperwork and documentation, the county has to put it on a ballot. ... That's the process that takes place. It's not up to Judge Trevino's discretion." Villarreal said that, while SpaceX currently has to go through the county to schedule closures of S.H. 4 and Boca Chica Beach, he's been informed that the company is in Austin lobbying legislators for the state rather than the county to regulate the closures. If the voters approve incorporation as a Type C municipality (between 201 and 4,999 residents), Starbase will be able to elect a mayor and two city commission members, he said. Villarreal said he intends to advocate for continued public access to Boca Chica Beach and wants Starbase's elected officials, whoever they are, to be fully aware of the concerns of residents of Brownsville and other parts of the county. "While (SpaceX employees') contributions to our community are significant, this unique voting demographic may not fully represent the diverse interests of all Cameron County residents, particularly concerning public access to Boca Chica Beach," the statement reads. Villarreal said he's committed to working diligently to make sure Starbase's incorporation does not further impede beach access even if state matters and affairs of separate municipalities are outside his jurisdiction. "This national treasure has long been a cherished space for all residents of Cameron County, and its accessibility must be preserved," according to the statement. Villarreal also said he'll advocate for a Starbase government that "operates with full transparency and remains accountable to both its residents and the broader Cameron County community," while also promotes policies to protect Boca Chica's unique ecosystems, "ensuring that development is balanced with environmental conservation." "I encourage all residents, both within the proposed Starbase boundaries and throughout Cameron County, to stay informed and engaged as this process unfolds," according to the statement. "Together we can work toward a future that embraces innovation while preserving the natural and public resources that define our community." Villarreal, who said his job is to inform constituents but also voice their concerns, said SpaceX has been a "phenomenal partner" and a source of much of the city's recent growth, noted that the mayor and city commission voted unanimously in support of a proclamation supporting SpaceX and Starbase. Featured Local Savings
Yahoo
13-02-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Cameron County judge schedules Starbase election for April
Feb. 12—Cameron County announced Wednesday afternoon that an election has been scheduled to decide whether Starbase, Texas, can be legally incorporated as a Type-C municipality. SpaceX submitted an Incorporation Petition to the county on Dec. 12. After careful review by county Judge Eddie Trevino Jr., the county elections administrator and commission civil legal division, he signed an order "finding satisfactory proof in support of the statutory requirements being met for petition for incorporation." "The incorporation petition submitted was duly signed by at least 10% of the qualified voters of Starbase, Texas," according to the county. "Additionally, the petition satisfied the statutorily required elements and set forth satisfactory proof that Starbase contains the requisite number of inhabitants as required by law and the area to be incorporated is not part of another incorporated city or town." With those conditions met, Trevino was required under Section 8.009 of the Texas Local Government Code to order an election. The election will take place as part of the general election on May 3 from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at the "HUB," 39046 LBJ Blvd., Brownsville, Texas 78521. Early voting will take place at the same location April 22-25 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m., April 26 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and April 28-29 from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. "If the election passes, this will be the newest town in Cameron County since Los Indios in 1995," Trevino said. "We look forward to seeing the outcome of this election." Featured Local Savings
