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Resident alleges fraud, abuse of power by county attorney and assessor during Warren County meeting
Summary
During public comment at the March 17 meeting, resident Phil Bausch alleged fraud and abuse of power by the Warren County Attorney and the Assessor's office related to parcel reports, reassessments and a stalled two-lot subdivision request, and asked the board to press agencies for access to original parcel records.
Phil Bausch addressed the Warren County Board of Supervisors during public comment on March 17, 2026, and alleged fraud and abuse of power by county officials related to property assessment and permitting matters.
Bausch introduced himself to the board and said he had been attempting to complete a two-lot subdivision of his property for three years. He alleged that at a July 30, 2024 meeting at the building department "every head of the Warren County offices was present" but his subdivision was not discussed. He told the board, "Attorney Backholds and Tim Comyn from the Assessor's office threatened me with lawsuits and raising my taxes, and they did follow through with many different abuses of power and even fraud." (Phil Bausch, public commenter.)
Bausch said his taxes were later raised by 67% (CVA 62020) and that he did not receive a real estate assessment roll in the mail for 2026. He told the board Vanguard's parcel representative said measurements were unchanged from prior years but that the Assessor's office later listed his living area as 1,052 square feet, which he disputes and says should be about 920 square feet. Bausch said he asked Vanguard for an explanation of discrepancies and asserted that multiple versions of parcel reports were produced during his PAAB hearing, including a "third version" he called changed and problematic. He named Janet Bunce as producing a version with numerous changes and said staff told him they could change information "however they want," which he characterized as creating opportunities for fraud and abuse of power.
Bausch requested that the board "pressure" the relevant offices or otherwise ensure citizens can obtain original parcel reports from Vanguard so they can confirm whether similar errors or changes occurred to others.
The board did not take action on public comments during the meeting, and no response or rebuttal to Bausch's allegations is recorded in the transcript. The public comment period is subject to a three-minute limit and the board noted it would not act on comments tonight due to open meetings law constraints.
