Bastrop County approves SpaceX incentive nomination amid concerns

Added: 2026-05-28

[00:00:00]SpaceX is looking to expand its presence in Bastrop County, a move that not everyone in the community supports. The company plans to invest more than $850 million to upgrade its current facility and is asking county leaders to nominate the project for a state incentive program, which could allow the company to qualify for tax benefits. Today, county commissioners voted in favor of that request. Kevin Boser explains the impact and the concerns now being raised >> in a unanimous vote on Tuesday.

[00:00:31]>> All in favor say I.

[00:00:33]>> I. All oppose the same. Motion carried.

[00:00:35]>> Bastard County Commissioners voted to nominate SpaceX's expansion project designating it as an enterprise project under a state incentive program. This allows the company to apply for tax benefits from the state and opens the door for possible local incentives down the line. A representative from SpaceX says the investment will help expand production of its Starlink terminal kits and grow the local economy.

[00:00:58]>> This keeps Bassrop and Texas at the center of our Starlink program and we plan to move all Starlink kit production here to Bassrop County and the real impact we believe of this investment is in the job creation.

[00:01:11]>> County Commissioner Clara Beckett echoes that impact. It's a state program um that they're entitled to if they create if they create the jobs they're saying.

[00:01:21]So um that's why I'm supporting it. We need jobs for our youth.

[00:01:26]>> The public does not understand why we need to subsidize the richest man in the world.

[00:01:35]>> Linda Curtis is with the League of Independent Voters of Texas and a Bastrop resident. She's talking about Elon Musk who is the CEO of SpaceX.

[00:01:43]That's what people are objecting to. Oh, he gets subsidies. You know, I'm my mom and pop store that's about to go out of business. Do I get any help? No. And it ultimately winds up in the cost of living in a place.

[00:01:57]>> County Judge Gregory Clauss pushed back on some of those concerns, saying no incentives have been approved yet.

[00:02:03]>> We haven't given them anything. SpaceX has not asked for anything.

[00:02:08]And a lot of people out there are saying, well, they don't have to get permits. They don't have to do this.

[00:02:14]They got to go through our permit and planning department just like everybody else.

[00:02:18]>> This is not a time to be giving money to corporations. Don't have your fund on our dime. Pay your own way.

[00:02:25]>> In Bastrop, Kevin Boser, KX News.

[00:02:29]>> The state will decide whether to approve incentives for SpaceX. SpaceX said that the project will have no fiscal impact to the county.