Williston Mayor Won’t Run Again

WILLISTON, N.D. (AP) — The longtime leader of the western North Dakota oil patch hub of Williston is calling it quits.

Mayor Ward Koeser isn't seeking re-election this June, after serving as mayor for 20 years.

Koeser tells the Williston Herald the oil boom has brought a lot of stress to the city but it also has created opportunity. He says the city boasts a younger and more diverse population, a high per capita income and an unemployment rate less than 1 percent.

The 64-year-old Koeser says Williston is on track to become a "premier city in the state," and it's time for someone young with "new energy" to serve as mayor.