Paso Robles Councilman Chris Bausch is a toxic menace. He should resign | Opinion

Let’s not mince words. Paso Robles City Councilman Chris Bausch is unfit for public office.

Former colleagues report a disturbing pattern of bullying that left some of them afraid for their lives.

Bausch once bragged, in a threatening manner, about having a “gun with big bullets.”

He was described as “physically aggressive.”

More recently, he was accused of threatening and harassing City Manager Ty Lewis to such a degree that Lewis went out on medical leave and filed a $2.2 million claim against the city, alleging a hostile work environment. While that was denied, Lewis has the option of following up with a lawsuit.

None of this is close to normal or acceptable behavior. Far from it. That it’s been allowed to go on so long is shocking.

And it wasn’t exactly a secret.

When Bausch served on the Paso Robles school board, his fellow trustees voted to censure him — a form of public reprimand generally used only in the most egregious of circumstances.

Resigning would be the right move

Now his alleged misconduct toward Lewis has landed the city of Paso Robles in a legal predicament.

Ideally, Bausch would do the honorable thing and resign, but after hearing about his angry, abusive, bullying behavior from several credible witnesses on the record, we doubt he would be so accommodating.

The City Council could vote to censure him, though that proved to be ineffectual when the school board tried it.

Recall is another option, but that would require time and energy to organize a committee and collect signatures to get the vote on the ballot.

Also, a special election would be costly for the city, though given Bausch’s reprehensible history, it would be money well spent both to rid the city of a toxic influence and to send a message that such behavior will not be tolerated.

If that’s not in the cards, at the very least, Paso Robles voters — especially voters in District 2, which Bausch represents — should remember his pattern of behavior when the 2026 election rolls around.

And it’s not too early for civic-minded individuals to consider running for the District 2 seat, because if ever a council member needed replacing, it’s Mr. Bausch.

‘He was just inches from my face’

Bausch does have his defenders, who claim he’s being singled out because he is a strong conservative, as well as a budget hawk.

That’s so not the case, and this is not about politics. Bausch could be watchdog for taxpayers’ money without being vile representative of the public. This is all about Bausch’s conduct in elected office.

It would be one thing if just one or two individuals had spoken out against him. Then the trouble might be chalked up to a misunderstanding, or perhaps to political differences.

But in addition to the allegations from Lewis — who served as Paso’s police chief prior to being appointed city manager — six former school board members and a former district superintendent told Tribune reporters they had negative experiences with Bausch and would not recommend him for public office.

It wasn’t just his political adversaries who spoke out, either. Former Trustee Chris Arend, who shared many of Bausch’s conservative views, did as well.

Arend told The Tribune that Bausch was the most difficult person he had ever worked with, and described him as “physically aggressive.”

Another of his former colleagues on the school board, Joan Summers, gave this chilling account of a confrontation: “He was just inches from my face, and he said, ‘I have a gun with big bullets, and I aim for the head.’ And he walked away from me.”

She reported the incident to police but was told it was not actionable since it was not a direct threat.

Field Gibson, another former board member, told The Tribune that Bausch’s threats and verbal attacks led some board members to fear for their lives.

And three separate former board members said Bausch accused a district employee of attending “sex parties” — a rumor Lewis said Bausch later recycled against him.

No more chances

Yet Bausch’s career in local politics has not suffered. Quite the contrary, he keeps failing up.

Following his censure in 2017, he was reelected to the school board in 2020, finishing second out of a field of 12 candidates.

In late August of 2022, he was appointed to fill a vacancy on the Paso Robles City Council.

The appointment was at least partly a matter of practicality; Bausch was the only candidate running for the District 2 City Council seat two months later in the November election, which meant he would be automatically elected anyway.

Now, Paso Robles is stuck with a disruptive public official who is a menace and a liability to the city.

Even if Ty Lewis does not receive a payout — which seems unlikely — Bausch’s behavior has thrown the city into disarray, harmed its reputation and likely cost Paso Robles a valued employee.

The school board gave Chris Bausch a warning when they censured him. Voters gave Chris Bausch a second chance when they reelected him.

He does not deserve another.

This story was originally published November 14, 2024 at 5:00 AM.