General purpose assistance
can be defined as financial aid for the support of
local government functions without limitation as to the use
of such aid and without the substantive program and procedural
conditions that are routinely attached to categorical
grants-in-aid. In the late 1990’s, interest centered on
the General Purpose Local Government Assistance program,
which distributed over $770 million to cities, towns
and villages during state fiscal year 1999-2000.