Residents vote on making Starbase a city

CAMERON COUNTY, Texas (ValleyCentral) — Unofficial early voting numbers show residents of Boca Chica Village are voting in favor of creating the City of Starbase and establishing Starbase as a Type C general law municipality.

According to the unofficial early voting election results, 173 residents voted for the creation of the City of Starbase and 4 people voted against during early votiung.

The ruling of this election could change the incorporated village of Starbase, also known as Boca Chica Village, into a Type C general city with a commission form of government, comprised of a mayor and two commissioners.

An unincorporated city, town or village can petition to become a Type C municipality if the population is between 201 to 4,999 residents and meets the following requirements:

• It is comprised of less than two square miles if the population is less than 2,000 inhabitants.
• It sis comprised of less than four square miles if the population is between 2,001 to 4,999 inhabitants.

Additionally, a Type C city will have a commission form of government with a mayor and two commissioners that each serve two-year terms, unless voters adopt a measure that extends their terms to four years.

The commission is required to hold at least one regular monthly meeting and call as many special meetings as needed.

Lastly, Type C cities can levy an ad valorem property tax anywhere between $250 and $1,500 per $100,000 valuation, depending on the population size.