It looks like Florida might be getting a new resident. Elon Musk is trying to move out of California, and Port St. Lucie Mayor Gregory Oravec hopes that his city will become the new home of the company. On Thursday, the mayor hinted on Twitter how low the taxes are in his coastal city compared to California in an attempt to get Elon Musk to move Tesla to Florida. "I think you will find us eager to cut red tape and willing to foster true collaboration in good times and in bad," Mayor Oravec said in the letter posted on the city's Twitter account to Musk. He would list the opportunities that could lay ahead in Port St. Lucie, including comparing California's taxes to his city. Musk is currently in a spat with Alameda County, California, officials after he was ordered to shut his plant in Fremont due to the current novel coronavirus mitigation efforts there. That incensed Musk, who announced on Twitter that he was moving Tesla's headquarters out of California and was looking at either Texas or Nevada. Hi @elonmusk, please find the following letter from our mayor. Check out @CityPortStLucie! pic.twitter.com/X1OUmshMQy— Port St. Lucie (@CityPortStLucie) May 14, 2020 Oravec also touted Port. St.Lucie's relatively close location with the SpaceX launch center and also highly touted the city's large manufacturing space. Though Florida was never mentioned in the running for Tesla, the state has long touted itself as being a business-friendly, low tax state that corporations could thrive. Port St.Lucie is a growing region of the state and is situated about midway in-between Miami and Orlando. I’m not messing around. Absurd & medically irrational behavior in violation of constitutional civil liberties, moreover by *unelected* county officials with no accountability, needs to stop.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 9, 2020 Musk's dispute with California officials has other states throwing their pitches to the company. Colorado Gov. Jared Polis got onto Twitter and made his proposition to Musk about how great Colorado's business climate is for Tesla. Tesla is restarting production today against Alameda County rules. I will be on the line with everyone else. If anyone is arrested, I ask that it only be me.— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) May 11, 2020 It remains to be seen if Musk would eventually follow through on his threat to leave California. In defiance with Alameda County's order, Musk restarted operations at his Freemont plant. If he is indeed serious and is looking for a new home, he sure has plenty of options. Mayor Oravec is one of the many who is driving that point home.
