Residents in a small part of southern Texas are voting on whether to turn their neighbourhood into a brand-new city, one that would give Elon Musk’s SpaceX something close to its own government. The new city would be called Starbase, and it sits right where SpaceX carries out its rocket launches in Texas.

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What the vote is about?

The election is being held among a few hundred people living in what is now known as Boca Chica. If passed, the vote would officially create a city government, allowing the area to make its own local rules.

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Most of the people eligible to vote are SpaceX employees and their families, which makes the outcome almost certain. Starbase is expected to be approved.

How would this benefit Musk?

By creating Starbase, Musk gains a level of control rarely seen in modern-day business. While he won’t technically be in charge, the town would be run almost entirely by SpaceX staff. That means the company, and by extension, Musk would have significant influence over how things are done in the city.

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It also gives SpaceX more freedom to manage day-to-day operations, including road closures during rocket launches, without relying as much on outside authorities. According to statements submitted by SpaceX workers, this new setup would improve “logistics and coordination”.

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Who’s running the town?

Starbase would be led by people already high up at SpaceX. The candidate for mayor, Bobby Peden, is the vice-president of test and launch operations and has been with the company since 2013. He is running unopposed.

Two others from the company, an engineering manager and a senior director of environmental health and safety, are running for city commissioner roles. Like Peden, both are standing without opposition.

What does Starbase look like?

Starbase is a small area near the Mexican border, close to the Gulf of Mexico. It’s lined with palm trees, prefabricated homes and shiny airstream trailers. A massive golden bust of Musk, nine feet tall, stands in the middle of it all. A plaque below calls him “ELON aka Memelord”.

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Not everyone is impressed. Vandals recently damaged the statue, peeling off parts of the foam and fibreglass.

Local concerns over Starbase

Although the town is likely to be created, not everyone is happy about it. Locals have raised concerns about rising living costs and reduced beach access during rocket tests. Since SpaceX moved into Cameron County about ten years ago, rents have gone up nearly 15%.

Community organiser Bekah Hinojosa spoke out against the plan, telling Politico, “They’re claiming they’re bringing economic incentives, but the rent is going up, the roads are crumbling.”

“It is getting harder to live here,” she added. “All this seems to benefit is fancy restaurants with SpaceX clientele.”

Hinojosa said, “It’s the richest man on the planet using us as a testing ground. Elon Musk is on his way to colonising Mars. First, he’s trying to colonise this community.”

Watch: Tesla board searches for a new CEO to replace Musk: WSJ report

A new kind of company town

If the vote succeeds, Musk’s influence over Starbase will look a lot like the company towns of the Gilded Age, where businesses controlled everything from housing to local laws. Though Musk won’t have an official role, his company will effectively run the town.