McCleary Mayor Brycen Huff tenders resignation
Published 1:30 am Tuesday, July 28, 2026
After The Daily World’s Monday deadline for the Tuesday print edition, the paper learned that McCleary Mayor Brycen Huff sent an email to the city staff tending his resignation. His last day will be Friday, July 31, and Huff cited that he made this decision for his mental and physical health.
Huff has served on the City Council since 2018. In 2025, he ran for mayor against incumbent Chris Miller, receiving 81% of the vote. While campaigning for mayor, Huff cited one of his qualifications as “I work on improving trust between the city of McCleary and the residents who we, as elected officials and employees, serve.” And the values that Huff said he stood for as a future mayor were “Honesty, transparency, integrity, fiscal responsibility, city morale, responsible and management growth, community involvement and employee retention.”
Huff is embroiled in a situation involving the police department. On July 20, he fired Chief Ryan Miskell and appointed Officer Randy Bunch as interim police chief. In the termination letter to Chief Miskell, Huff wrote, “Over the past seven months I have evaluated your performance with the police department and have identified a pattern of dishonesty. As a result, I have determined that the administration will be moving forward in a different direction to best support the city’s current and future needs.”
Chief Miskell was subsequently reinstated on July 24 but placed on paid administrative leave pending further administrative action. A pre-disciplinary hearing for Chief Miskell is set for Wednesday, at which he will have the opportunity to respond to the proposed disciplinary action.
With Huff resigning, the Mayor Pro Tem is Andrea Dahl, who has served on the council since 2022.
“I am working with Andrea to make the change as smooth as possible and know she will do an outstanding job working with staff and council guiding the city to a better future,” Huff wrote in the email.
On July 27, during trivia night at Bandana Brewing, Firefighter Riley Geer presented Huff with a challenge coin on behalf of the McCleary Firefighter’s Association. Andrew Pittman, who is a member of the McCleary Firefighter’s Association, shared via text with The Daily World that, “We presented the coin to Brycen as a token of appreciation for his many years of support to the fire department, fire association, and the community.”
