Mayor Musselwhite Defends SpaceX Buyout
Southaven mayor defends SpaceX-linked buyout program
Mayor Darren Musselwhite told the Board of Aldermen that a residential buyout program tied to a SpaceX AI data-center development is voluntary and that no homeowner is required to participate.
At the board's Oct. 7 meeting, held during the mayor's report, Musselwhite addressed what he described as "slanted journalism" from Memphis television coverage of the program over the weekend. He told the board, "Nobody is being forced to be bought out." Musselwhite said the company involved in the data-center project has not violated any federal, state or local law. He said the buyout offer was made at his own request, as a goodwill gesture extended to homeowners near the site, and that it is separate from ongoing efforts to address turbine noise coming from the development.
The mayor did not describe specific terms of the buyout offer or say how many residents have been approached, according to the meeting record.
The exchange reflects a broader tension in Southaven between city officials and residents living near a large, out-of-state-backed industrial development. Local governments across Mississippi have faced similar scrutiny over how private companies negotiate directly with homeowners near data centers and other large projects, and over whether voluntary buyout and noise-mitigation offers adequately address residents' concerns. Musselwhite's decision to use a public board meeting to rebut television coverage underscores how closely officials are managing public perception of the SpaceX-linked project as it moves forward in the city.