Obviously, $2.1 million is a lot of money. So when Northampton County Executive John Brown told County Council at its Feb. 4 meeting that it only took $2.1 million to keep its nursing home Gracedale afloat last year, that’s still a lot of money. But the good news is that the county had budgeted $7.7 million. So Gracedale beat the budget forecast by $5.6 million.

According to Brown, the nursing home is moving in the right direction.

We are very optimistic we are going to repeat that,” he toldcouncil. He indicated no one change and no one person is responsible for the financial improvement, although he had high praise for the workforce.

Gracedale’s employees did vote to give up $2.5 million in annual benefits when the nursing home was in trouble. Workers commonly take residents shopping or bring them home for the holidays. Many become volunteers after retiring.

Brown also reported that the county closed the books on 2015 with a $31 million fund balance, compared to about $33 million at the end of 2014. He said this money was there after moving $10 million into a human services capital find and after setting aside a rainy day fund. He is pleased by the “very strong financial performance.”

Perhaps all this good financial news made council a bit more picky. By a 6-3 vote, they rejected a $200 “gift” for the 2016 Senior Games from Humana, a health insurance provider. In exchange for this “gift,” the county would be required to provide Humana with a table at these Senior Games, and would also be required to feature this business in its program for the event.

“They weasel their way in any way they can,” Ken Kraft noted after being informed that Humana is a health insurer. Council members Peg Ferraro, John Cusick and Mat Benol voted to accept the money.