He graduated from the Secondary Technical School of Mechanical Engineering in Uherské Hradiště. He worked for Let Kunovice (now Aircraft Industries) as a toolmaker, process engineer, production scheduler, and union representative. He first ran for office in the 1998 municipal elections in Staré Město, where he was elected. In 2006, he was elected mayor for the first time. He was re-elected in 2010, 2014, and 2018. He was first elected to the regional council in 2012 and was re-elected in 2016 and 2020. He is the chairman of the association of 19 municipalities in the Staroměstsko micro-region. He has been involved in folklore since the age of 10. In 1987, he became the artistic director and choreographer of Dolina. He has played a major role in preserving and developing the regional style of the Hradiště Dolňácko verbuňk dance and has helped organize competitions. He also sings in the Staroměstští mládenci men’s choir. Josef Bazala is married and has three children.