The Government Accounting Standards Board (GASB) recently issued Statement 54, titled “Fund Balance Reporting and Governmental Fund Type Definitions.” A companion article on page 15, authored by Stephen J. Gauthier, director of the technical services center at the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA), summarizes the significant changes in the focus, classifications and terminology of fund balance. As he rightly notes, few, if any, sections of a municipality’s financial statements draw as much attention as does the fund balance of the general fund.