An Ohio mayor has announced his resignation after saying that ice-fishing could lead to prostitution.

While debating at a city council meeting last week whether to allow the recreational activity at Hudson Springs Park, Mayor Craig Shubert pondered what the ramifications could be.

"While on the surface it sounds good," he said, "then what happens next year?"

Shubert, a Republican official in the Akron-area town, suggested that permitting it could lead to people requesting the use of an ice shanty, a portable shed placed on a frozen lake to provide shelter while dropping fishing lines through a hole in the ice.

"If you're going to allow ice fishing in shanties, then that leads to another problem: prostitution," Shubert said at the council meeting.

RELATED: Woman Discovers Her Ex, a Small-Town Mayor, Used Reddit to Spread 'Revenge Porn' of Her, Prosecutors Allege

"City Council workshops are a time for discussing important matters, the sharing of ideas and concerns, as well as one's knowledge and experience prior to crafting legislation to establish new laws and policies," Shubert wrote on his website. 

"My comments at Tuesday's workshop were made out of concern for our community; what could become of unintended consequences of new legislation, based on my prior television news reporting experience," he continued. "My attempt to inject a bit of dry humor to make a point about this, in the midst of a cold, snowy February, was grossly misunderstood."

RELATED: Mississippi Mayor Withholds $110,000 in Library Funding Over 'Homosexual Materials'

Some residents themselves tried to have a bit of fun with Shubert's comments at the meeting.

Hudson's Restaurant & Catering showed off a menu of new cocktail creations on Facebook, including a Love Shack Margarita, the Ice Breaker, Rod Reeler and Gone Fishin' Jello Shots.

"THE SHANTY IS OPEN," the eatery said in the post, which included a photo of an green, floor-less tent inside its dining area. "Where Ice Fishing Leads to a Good Time."

And Shubert's opponents pounced.

"Such a shame that our wonderful town of Hudson, OH has made national (international?) news yet again," City Councilwoman Nicole Kowalski said in a tweet. "I have very real concerns about how this incident will impact Hudson long-term. I do not want this to deter people or businesses from moving to our wonderful community. Could this impact property values?"

The Summit County Democrats also tweeted: "The Mayor of Hudson, Craig Shubert, believes ice fishing will lead to prostitution," the political group wrote. "Can someone HOOK us up with the data that supports this statement?"

RELATED: Grammy-Nominated Teacher and History-Making Mayor Hopes Her Story Can 'Embolden Young People'

Shubert called the attacks political. "Some in our community saw this as an opportunity to engage in the politics of personal destruction by means of character assassination, blaming me for the negative international press they helped to promote," he wrote in his resignation announcement.

He also further explained his remarks, telling local TV station Fox 8 in a statement, "My comment about ice fishing, the permitting of shanties on lakes, and prostitution stems from my experience as a former television news reporter covering law enforcement agencies, which have made arrests for acts of prostitution in ice fishing shanties."

The same station also investigated the claim that ice-fishing in shanties could actually lead to prostitution.

"I don't think an ice-fishing hut would be ideal for that type of activity," Geauga County Sheriff Scott Hildenbrand said in an interview. "We never had that problem."

Meanwhile, ice-fishing is now permitted in the park. "At your own risk," reads a new sign. "Minors must be with an adult."