Mexia center likely to boost LC's economy

Action taken during this year's Texas legislative session set the stage for the Mexia State Supported Living Center to be a vital part of Limestone County's economy for years to come, U.S. Rep. Byron Cook said last week.

Cook (R-Corsicana) called the recently concluded session "difficult." He and other lawmakers fought off an attempt to close all of Texas' state schools. "We had to make sure bad laws didn't get passed," he said. "We were able to amend a reform bill and designate the (former) Mexia State School as a center to house high-risk, court-committed adults and juveniles. This will mean more patients and more jobs in Limestone County."

Cook said the legislation dedicated 110 of about 500 beds at the Mexia center to juveniles.

Dr. Bill Lowry, superintendent of the Mexia State Supported Living Center, said the facility's primary function will not change.

"We have been designated as the forensic facility to house alleged offenders, both adult and juvenile," Lowry said Friday. "But our primary function hasn't changed. We will continue to provide residential services for Texas' mentally impaired clients."

While Cook and Lowry have both said the official designation will help keep the doors open in Mexia, the state facility has been housing alleged offenders since 1994.

"We began housing alleged juvenile offenders in 1994 and alleged adult offenders in 1995, but now we'll probably get a few more," Lowry said. "There are about 250 alleged offenders in the system, and we already have 140 of them."

Under the new law, almost all of the state's court-committed patients will be sent to Mexia. According to Cook, about 20 courtcommitted patients will be moved to Mexia from the state's San Angelo campus. Additional patients will come from facilities in Corpus Christi, San Antonio, Lufkin, Lubbock, Austin and Denton.

While many of these patients have been charged with crimes, few have been convicted. Most have been found incompetent to stand trial because of their mental conditions.

Cook said Mexia will see an increase in the number of patients and employees. Currently, the facility employs about 1,400 workers, but the number of workers has been on the rise during the past two years.

"We received 139 new positions after the 2007 legislative session, and we were given 154 new positions this year," Lowry said. "A lot of those are high-paying jobs. For instance, we picked up two psychiartrist positions, another pharmacist and another dentist. We also picked up more security and supervisory positions, and we will have more specialists such as counselors. The good news is most of these folks will live in the area."

The number of non-offender clients in Mexia is not expected to change, although non-offenders will have the option of transferring to another state supported living center.

Cook said alleged offender and non-offender populations at the Mexia facility will be kept separate from each other for safety reasons.

Lowry and Cook both said the changes at Mexia State Supported Living Center will provide a boost to the economy.

"This not only improves the quality of life for the residents of state schools, it also creates numerous new job opportunities in Mexia," Cook said. "(These opportunities) will have a positive impact in the community and for all of Limestone County."

Lowry said the Mexia center already had an annual payroll in excess of $40 million, and the new employees will substantially add to that figure.

"I don't have the numbers in front of me, but it definitely will be a boost," he said.