2 candidates seek to become Medora mayor

Medora's former mayor, Olie Golberg, is challenging Mayor Doug Ellison for the seat come Election Day.

Golberg, 55, was mayor from 1996 to 2006, when he resigned due to health issues.

"Running a city is like running a business," he said. "If you run it as a business, everything should go fine, but if you run it as a government free-for-all, things don't go so good."

Ellison, 49, has held the position since he won a write-in election in 2008.

"The last four years have been an interesting challenge," he said. "I've learned a lot and I think they've gone fairly well and I would just like to continue to help the town out if I can."

Ellison grew up in Grant County near the South Dakota border. He moved to Medora in 1989 working for the State Historical Society.

Golberg was born in Rochester, Minn., and moved to Medora in 1979.

"Medora's been good to me for a hitchhiker who came into town," he said.

Both candidates are Medora business owners. Ellison and his wife, Mary, own and operate Western Edge Books and Amble Inn.

Golberg owns a mini mall, apartments and Buffalo Gap Guest Ranch, located just outside of town.

Both men want to help Medora through the area's oil boom.

"There's a lot of thought that's got to be put into how to keep it available for the tourists," Golberg said. "That's my main livelihood, the tourism end of it, and everything that I've built, I've got to ensure that it stays for the tourists in the summer months."

Ellison wants to follow through with projects he started, such as addressing infrastructure problems.

"I think it would be rewarding to continue to be involved with the city's future," he said.

Golberg also wants to make sure the city's finances are being handled properly.

"I'm a firm believer in spending money when you got it and not spending money you're anticipating getting," he said.