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Washington Select Board records retirement letter from Chief Murdough and appoints Lieutenant Mark Dressel as chief
Summary
The Select Board received a retirement letter from Police Chief Ryan Murdough and voted to promote Lieutenant Mark Dressel to chief, effective May 15, 2026; the transcript records the motion and second but does not provide a roll-call tally.
The Town of Washington Select Board on Feb. 26, 2026 recorded a retirement announcement from Police Chief Ryan Murdough and voted to promote Lieutenant Mark Dressel to Chief of Police, with an effective date of May 15, 2026.
The board received a written retirement announcement from Chief Ryan Murdough, which the minutes state the Select Board accepted with gratitude for his years of service. Under New Business (item 9.1) the board voted to promote Lieutenant Mark Dressel to chief; Gary Kendall moved to appoint and Evan Caffrey seconded. The transcript indicates the promotion was approved but does not include a roll-call vote or a numerical tally.
The change follows routine personnel action recorded on the meeting agenda; the minutes do not include statements from Murdough or Dressel during the meeting or details about a selection process. The promotion and retirement will alter leadership in the town’s police department beginning May 15, 2026.
Votes at a glance: the minutes show the board approved the Feb. 19 minutes (Evan Caffrey moved; Gary Kendall seconded; "all voted in favor"), authorized payroll checks totaling $16,705.75 and vendor checks totaling $7,765.64, and recorded the appointment of Mark Dressel as chief (Gary Kendall moved; Evan Caffrey seconded). The transcript does not include a full roll-call tally for the chief appointment.
The Select Board meeting minutes list Gary Kendall as chair and name Sam White and Evan Caffrey as fellow members. The town’s next Select Board meeting and the town and school meetings are scheduled in early March, and the newly appointed chief’s effective start date is May 15, 2026.
