Iowa City has put in a bid to serve as an overnight host community for RAGBRAI 2018, as has Tipton, IA, over in neighboring Cedar County. Unfortunately, Tipton's city leaders aren't on the same page as Cedar County's Sheriff's Office. The sheriff sent a letter to RAGBRAI earlier this month, telling them to pay them for their staff time or else:
Sheriff Warren Wethington contacted RAGBRAI officials earlier this month, asking his office be reimbursed directly by them or he will not allow his deputies to provide them extra service. While he doesn’t set a total dollar amount he’d like to receive, Wethington says the rate per officer is $57.85 per hour, with 24 deputies and reserve deputies expected to be needed if the bike ride passes through Cedar County.
He goes on to state his officers will enforce every traffic violation, including failing to stop at stop signs and riding on the left-hand side of the road, common along RAGBRAI as roads are typically closed for cyclists.
Wethington has been sheriff since 2007 and RAGBRAI has passed through Cedar County twice since then, last in 2011. He told the newspaper the bike ride bullies the small counties into hosting RAGBRAI.So basically, agree to an unspecified amount of money. Or else, they will make sure that they aggressively ticket and harass any riders while in their county.
RAGBRAI will announce its 2018 travel route in January.