Bullies forced Paso Robles city manager out of office. Don’t let it happen again | Opinion

Score one for the bullies.

Their ignoble behavior forced a decent man from his position as city manager of Paso Robles, and for no justifiable reason.

Ty Lewis, whose resignation was announced Monday night, agreed to settle a hostile workplace claim against the city for an as-yet-undisclosed cash settlement.

Not only did the city of Paso Robles lose an experienced leader, it has suffered a big black eye in the process.

And it’s not Lewis who should have been shown the door, but rather the antagonist bully-in-chief, Councilman Chris Bausch, who deserves much of the blame for the injury inflicted on the city, along with his cohorts.

If Paso citizens are upset that Lewis is leaving with a payout, they should recognize who is truly doing harm to Paso Robles. That would be a group of malcontents who are more interested in battering the city than building it up.

And good citizens, beware, they are not done yet.

A 23-year career in Paso Robles government

Despite all of the recent turmoil, Lewis can leave with his head held high.

He served the city of Paso Robles well for 23 years, a tenure that included stints as police chief and later, city manager.

He led with empathy and respect but got none in return from Bausch and company.

For reasons that are somewhat murky — but in some cases appear to involve personal grudges — Lewis became the target of harassment and vile, unfounded rumors.

The maltreatment affected his health, requiring him to take an extended medical leave.

It also led him to file a $2.2 million damage claim against the city in which he alleged there was a conspiracy to force him out of office.

Trafficking in sleaze

In his claim, Lewis accused Councilmember Bausch of leaking information and spreading personal and professional rumors about him to Cal Coast News reporter Karen Velie. Those included unfounded stories that the city manager participated in “sex parties.”

Cannabis business owners Ernest and Grace Hall told The Tribune that Velie admitted to them that she was working with Bausch to spread lies about Lewis in an attempt to run him out of his job as the city’s top administrator.

She then posted a short recording of a meeting among Lewis, Bausch and Mayor John Hamon, saying it refuted Lewis’ claims, before posting the supposed full version, only to take it down and replace it with a different version that didn’t include an odd intro by Bausch that sounded like it had been recorded after the fact.

Next, in an apparent attempt to corroborate the “sex party” rumors, Velie published a photo of Lewis in a hot tub with a supposedly “topless woman.”

Except the woman told The Tribune she wasn’t topless; she was wearing a strapless bathing suit.

These kinds of allegations were not a surprise to people who used to work with Bausch when he served on the Paso Robles school board.

There, his colleagues alleged he spread rumors and leaked information as well, often using KPRL as his megaphone.

So they voted to censure him.

Six former school board members and a former district superintendent interviewed by The Tribune reported negative experiences with Bausch and would not recommend him for public office.

Three separate former board members also said Bausch accused a district employee of attending “sex parties.”

Sound familiar?

We don’t yet know how much money Lewis got in his settlement, but here’s betting he deserves every dollar after having his career and reputation trashed.

‘Now they all owe us retractions and apologies’

Yet some community members still stand behind Bausch and Velie and against Lewis. 

Some now see Lewis’ departure as vindication.

Linda George, a former council candidate who claims she lost the election because Lewis conspired against her, went on Facebook to gloat: “Now they all owe us retractions and apologies!!”

Apologies for what? Lewis’ resignation does not mean that his conspiracy allegations are untrue.

In fact, quite the opposite. The fact that the city agreed to a settlement indicates that his allegations have at least some merit.

He just got tired of the clown brigade hounding him at every turn.

As for the predictable accusations that the council caved to Lewis’ demands, ignore them.

The current council should be faulted, but not for reaching a settlement.

No, their major mistake was appointing Bausch to fill a council vacancy in the first place, even though he was poised to win the seat running unchallenged. 

Still, they had a chance to take a stand.Were they not aware of his history? And if not, why not?

Nor does the city win points for its so-far unsuccessful effort to meet the legal demands ofTribune reporters who have been attempting to obtain records from Bausch, including texts and emails from his personal phone and email address, along with a recording of a meeting among Bausch, Lewis and Hamon that Bausch recorded.

To be fair, however, much of the blame there again lies with Bausch, who’s had weeks to relinquish any relevant records,to no avail.

Nevertheless, The Tribune will continue to fight the city for Bausch’s texts and emails.

Because as tempting as it may be to close this ugly and disgraceful chapter, it’s not yet time to turn the page. 

This isn’t over.

The citizens of Paso Robles deserve a full accounting that includes the roles played by a sitting member of the City Council and areporter many people choose to trust blindly.

Until those people are held to account,who’s to say it won’t happen again?

If you were a candidate interviewing for Lewis’ job, you might think twice about working for Paso Robles, because who wants to have vicious lies about their private lives spread around town?

The fact is, this episode if far more than a punch to the city’s face.

A malignancy is rotting Paso Robles, and cutting out Ty Lewis didn’t cure it.

This story was originally published January 29, 2025 at 10:08 AM.