Oak Park group disallows performing arts theater survey
By Michael Picarella
Acorn Staff Writer

The Community Foundation for Oak Park, a group of volunteers established in 1979 to sponsor community-based groups, is putting the brakes on one organization that wants to build a new performing arts theater in Oak Park.

The Oak Park Theater Building Committee was created to raise money for a 400-seat performing arts facility at Oak Park High School, designed to be used by students and community members alike. But the theater was nixed after the Oak Park School Board recently decided a smaller activity center should be built instead.

To define the committee’s new direction, members said they hoped to send out a public survey to see if residents still wanted the theater built.

David Ross, president of the community foundation, said the survey isn’t allowed under the rules of the Internal Revenue Service.

"As a committee of the Community Foundation, the Oak Park Theater Building Committee is part of a non-profit, tax-exempt charity," Ross said. "The Internal Revenue Service has very complicated rules that restrict (but not prohibit) how tax exempt charities spend money on lobbying government."

Ross said the IRS defines "lobbying" to include both attempting to persuade government officials directly and attempting to total up public opinion in order to pressure government officials.

There are limits and rules that govern lobbying and Ross said that his foundation wanted to prevent problems by prohibiting all of its committees from spending organizational money.

The members of the committee can write letters and send surveys, but only using money out of their own pockets.

Ross said his foundation did authorize the theater committee to lobby the Oak Park Unified School District and its School Board in support of a performing arts center, but did not approve the spending any committee funds in the process.

Vice President and Treasurer of the theater committee, Larry Jordan, said he and the committee were unclear of the rules.

"It would be foolish to be confrontational to our parent foundation," Jordan said.

He hoped the two groups could meet for further discussions.

Jordan mentioned the theater committee had not taken any steps