30+ Years
of Making It the Community's Plan
Beyond Your Base is a public affairs and pre-referendum consulting group that helps public agencies engage the community around possible funding proposals to address operating and capital facility needs.
We Put Taxpayers at the Center
of the Planning Process
Through factual, transparent communications and public opinion research, we help ensure taxpayers play a leading role in defining the timing, size, and scope of the plan—and whether or not it proceeds to the ballot.
Public Engagement Experts.
A Suite of Services.
A Singular Focus.
Unlike traditional PR firms, we are exclusively focused on pre-referendum planning. Our services are strategically tailored to support every phase of your public engagement program.
Public Policy Training
Stakeholder Engagement
Community Information Programs
Issue Framing & Message Development
Creative
Direct Mail
Digital/Social Media
Public Opinion Research
Proposal Development
Ballot Language Review
Decades of Insight.
For more than 30 years, Beyond Your Base team members have provided expert public engagement and public opinion research services to hundreds of school districts, municipalities, counties, and special districts throughout the Intermountain West and Midwest.
School Districts
Park Districts
Fire Districts
Hospital Districts
Municipalities & Counties
Community Colleges
Library Districts
“Paul Hanley assisted our district in building strong public support for a new community recreation center. His approach was focused on involving taxpayers throughout the planning process.”
Gary Major
Former Executive Director
West Chicago Park District, IL
“Meeker is a highly conservative community and had recently rejected tax increases for school district needs. Paul's counsel on how to gather information from our community, and sincerely engage them in our decision-making process, paid great dividends.”
Chris Selle
Superintendent
Meeker School District, CO
"Going through the election process can be daunting. We didn’t know where to begin. Paul Hanley and the Beyond Your Base team introduced us to a community-driven approach. Our community voted 62% in favor of the mill levy. Our department will now be able to serve our community more efficiently and safely."
David Girardin
Fire Chief
Security Fire Protection District, CO
“Paul Hanley’s inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach to public engagement was instrumental in building voter trust. He took the time to understand our district’s needs and constraints, as well as our voters’ concerns and values.”
Susan Lacy
Superintendent
Ridgway School District, CO
"Paul Hanley’s approach is about connecting, listening, and understanding the community. His efforts helped us determine what our taxpayers valued.”
Dr. Hank Thiele
Superintendent
Community High School District 99, IL
“Beyond Your Base’s guidance throughout the entire process was invaluable. Their pre-initiative polling proved exceptionally accurate—within a single percentage point of the final results—and both measures passed with strong voter support, receiving 75% and 82% approval respectively. Their team kept us focused, accountable, and on schedule at every stage.”
Jacob Andersen
CEO/Fire Chief
Aspen Fire Department, CO
"The passage of our $420 million bond referendum would not have been possible without Beyond Your Base’s strategies focused on carefully listening to our taxpayers over many months of public engagement.”
Dr. Adrian Talley
Former Superintendent
Indian Prairie School District 204, IL
"Platte Valley School District has worked with Paul Hanley on five voter-approved funding measures, helping to address our district’s highest-priority operating and capital facility needs.”
Jeremy Burmeister, Ed.D.
Superintendent of Schools
Platte Valley School District, Weld Re-7, CO
“Beyond Your Base comes with a well-deserved reputation for insight and accuracy, and those strengths were on full display for the community, board, and administration as we navigated our way through a generational moment in Deerfield 109's history. That work culminated in a successful $87.8 million referendum, approved by a 64%-36% margin.”
Michael Simeck
Superintendent
Deerfield Public Schools District 109
"Paul Hanley has assisted our school district with five successful ballot measures, providing more than $1.5 billion in funding. His taxpayer-focused strategies have allowed our district to address its highest priority capital improvement and operating needs, benefiting more than 30,000 students."
Dr. Don Haddad, Ed.D.
Former Superintendent
St. Vrain Valley School District, CO
“Respect your taxpayers. That’s the advice that Paul Hanley gave me years ago, and it’s proven to be a game changer. When you follow Mr. Hanley’s public engagement strategies, it allows for the development of funding proposals that have strong community ownership.”
Michael J. Leonard, CPRE
Executive Director
Channahon Park District, IL
“North Metro Fire has worked with Paul Hanley on two very successful ballot measures. In fact, the most recent measure passed with 75% support. I think one key to our success at the polls was our commitment to carefully listen to our taxpayers using the tools and strategies developed by Paul and his team. It is nice to work with someone like Paul, who aligns with our values and respects our taxpayers.”
David Ramos
Former Fire Chief
North Metro Fire Rescue District, CO
Meet the BYB Team: Focused. Informed. Experienced.
Paul Hanley
Co-Founder/
Managing Director
Skylar White
Senior Associate
Kim LaPat
Senior Writer/Editor
Warren Howell
Senior Graphic Designer
Melody Lawrence
Marketing and Communications Coordinator
Alicia Hutchens
Graphic and
Website Designer