The McKenzie Town Council is seeking to attract new businesses to the town.

At Tuesday’s meeting, council members discussed ways to attract businesses to the area. At its January meeting, the council mentioned the possibility of Dollar General opening in McKenzie, but according to Mayor Melvin Shufford, there has been no movement toward a store opening in McKenzie.

Council member Lester Owens said the town needs to focus on bringing in businesses big enough to boost the local economy.

“One of our major issues is to get a business to help out with our economy here,” Owens said. “If anyone has an idea or if anyone can help us with anything, we welcome any help in trying to keep the town alive.”

Shufford said he spoke with Greenville Mayor Dexter McLendon briefly on the matter.

“I talked to the Greenville mayor the other week when I was up there, and he said it was going to be hard for us to get anything because we’re not showing any improvement on anything,” Shufford said.

The council believes if the town can get a big enough business, the state will allow the development of turning lanes on the four-lane, a $20,000 light to be installed at the entrance to McKenzie and possibly a town sign.

“We were told if we had a large business coming in, there’s a good chance we would get (turning lanes),” Owens said. “It would cost about $120,000 and the state wasn’t going to spend that money on prospects. We’re not giving up. We need a proprietor before we spend money.”