Business leaders defend Brownsville’s $220M SpaceX water agreement after contentious vote

Three days after Brownsville commissioners approved a contentious agreement with SpaceX, some of the city’s most prominent business, economic development and workforce leaders packed Tuesday’s commission meeting with a message: They believe the $220 million water deal is worth it.

Representatives from the Greater Brownsville Economic Development Corp., Brownsville Chamber of Commerce, Workforce Solutions Cameron, local businesses and others took turns defending the agreement, which trades the city’s zoning control over roughly 444 acres near Starbase for up to $220 million from SpaceX toward major regional water and wastewater projects.

Their comments offered a stark contrast to Saturday’s heated special meeting, when commissioners approved the agreement after hours of public opposition and questions about how quickly the deal had been presented to the city.

Opposition remained Tuesday, with residents again criticizing the agreement and the process used to approve it. But much of the business community’s message focused on what the influx of private money could mean for a city facing both drought and rapid industrial growth.