WHEELING - Mayor Andy McKenzie says that he wants everybody in Wheeling to be able to enjoy Valentine's Day equally. On February 14, prostitution will be legal for anyone within city limits.
"The idea came to me when I was browsing the internet a couple nights ago," said McKenzie. "I saw this advertisement that there were a lot lonely moms in my area that were ready to go at it. I felt bad for them, so we're going to do them a special Valentine's Day favor."
McKenzie said that while the practice is usually unorganized, customers will still be required to pay sales taxes on the prostitutes.
"The idea came to me when I was browsing the internet a couple nights ago," said McKenzie. "I saw this advertisement that there were a lot lonely moms in my area that were ready to go at it. I felt bad for them, so we're going to do them a special Valentine's Day favor."
McKenzie said that while the practice is usually unorganized, customers will still be required to pay sales taxes on the prostitutes.
"We've been handing out these Intuit credit card readers to every prostitute in Wheeling," he said. "That way we can properly keep track of every transaction. It will basically be like they are employees of the city for a day."
The credit card readers will allow the city to get creative with the offer.
"We're looking at running some kind of prostitute rewards program," McKenzie said. "We don't know exactly what we're going to offer just yet, but there will definitely be a buy one get one half off deal. Also, if you spend over $50 this year you'll earn points towards next year's event."
Several companies have already announced their involvement with the event. For instance, Apollo Pro Cleaning & Restoration will be providing free cleanup services, while Enterprise Rent-A-Car will offer discounted car rentals with certain bundles.
