Dec 23rd, 2009
Indianapolis Massage Parlors: Businesses Enraged By Proposed Fee Hike
Increased licensing fees would cost more than $1,000 more a year for Yellow Rose Carriage, a company that manager Peggy Best said has been restricted to eight licenses a year for the past 26 years.
“It hurts at a time when this is a discretionary income business,” Best said. “People are already hurting, and carriage rides are the first thing to go.”
The city began meetings with the business community about the proposed increases and the city’s desire that businesses shoulder the true cost of regulation.
“We understand the budget pressures the city is going under. This is simply not the time, at least from most people we’ve heard, that they should go into effect,” said Joel Reuter, of the Indianapolis Chamber of Commerce.
Indianapolis licenses 27 different businesses, including massage parlors, escort services and adult entertainment — such as Lenny’s Gentlemen’s Club, where fees will increase 600 percent annually, from $75 to $575.