Washington County will give six-month notice to Cadence Bank of Brenham after finance committee cites service problems

Washington County Commissioners Court voted Dec. 16 to give a six-month termination notice to Cadence Bank of Brenham and direct staff to seek bids for banking services.

A member of the finance committee described repeated problems following Cadence’s takeover, including account-analysis fees assessed to 37 of 45 checking accounts and persistent online banking difficulties. "Yesterday, we got hit with account analysis fees on 37 of our 45 checking accounts," the speaker said, adding that local branch staff were not at fault and that issues appeared to stem from the bank’s back-office systems.

The finance committee indicated it is preparing a bid package early next year and that the county expects another bank (Huntington) to be able to bid. Commissioners accepted the committee’s recommendation and approved sending the notice. Two commissioners abstained from the vote; the motion carried with the remaining votes in favor.

The court did not name a replacement bank in the motion; staff said they would prepare bid documents and the timetable to solicit proposals. The county also noted that Cadence will undergo an additional conversion to Huntington next year, which the finance committee cited as an additional risk to service continuity.

The action starts the contractual six-month notice period required under the county’s banking agreement; staff will return with the solicitation documents and a recommended schedule for evaluating and selecting a new banking partner if responses warrant a change.