Douglas County government’s checking accounts are about to get a new home.

Monday morning, county commissioners agreed to enter negotiations with Central National Bank to take over the county’s checking accounts for up to the next four years.

The accounts, currently held by US Bank, hold the county’s money for operations. The accounts can carry balances of up to $40 million twice a year, when county residents pay their property-tax bills.

Seven banks were vying for the accounts, but Central National’s presentation topped them all on price and services, said Jackie Waggoner, the county’s purchasing agent.

“They came across very confident, and I think we would do well having a contract with them,” Waggoner said.

Central National’s bid for the accounts won unanimous support from a committee of county officials who reviewed offers from each bank. Now county officials will negotiate a final deal and intend to bring back a proposal for the commission’s approval Sept. 23.

“It should translate to a win-win for Douglas County and the bank,” said Brad Chindamo, Central National’s president in Lawrence. “It will save the county money both tangibly and intangibly, in terms of time and services. And it should be a profitable arrangement for the bank, which is as it should be.”

Terms of the offers were not made public because the information would taint negotiations, said Pam Madl, the county’s director of administrative services. Such information will be released once a tentative deal is reached.

Chuck Warner, president of US Bank in Lawrence, asked commissioners to keep US Bank in mind before signing off on Central National’s offer.

“From a taxpayer’s perspective  the county doesn’t have to leave money on the table if our bid is competitive and more so than maybe somebody else’s,” Warner told commissioners.

Madl assured commissioners that Central National’s offer was “very competitive with US Bank’s numbers.”

Central National, based in Junction City, also has a leg up on US Bank because it holds a state charter for banking. In the past year, US Bank relinquished its state charter, putting it second in line for consideration  under state law  for the county’s banking business.

State law doesn’t mandate that a state-chartered bank get the county’s business, only that state-chartered institutions  or institutions with a main location in the state  get the first look.

“It’s a very gray area,” Madl said.

Commissioners Charles Jones and Jere McElhaney agreed to have staffers work out a final contract with Central National. Those losing out along with US Bank were Douglas County Bank, Commerce Bank, UMB Bank and Commercial Federal Savings.

“The race has already been run,” Jones said. “Now all we have to do is negotiate.”

Commissioner Bob Johnson did not attend Monday’s meeting but would not have been able to vote on the issue anyway. Johnson is a member of the board of directors for Douglas County Bank.

Central National has four branches in Lawrence, which hold $55 million in assets; in all, the company has 20 branches with $520 million in assets.