Churchill: In Albany, the mayor's race has already begun

The sharply worded letter released Sunday by Frank Commisso Jr. and his allies was more than a critique of Mayor Kathy Sheehan's proposed budget.

[...] there's Commisso.

Some may find that alliance odd, but it isn't surprising when you consider a. McCoy and Sheehan have worked well together during the mayor's single term in office and b. McCoy would probably prefer that the Commisso family not control the County Legislature and City Hall.

[...] there's Carolyn McLaughlin, president of the Common Council and another vocal Sheehan critic.

Interestingly, much of the budgetary back-and-forth in recent months has been between Sheehan administration and the County Legislature, including the recent squabble over whether the county would absorb the cost of two clerks who handle archived records.

Sounding very much like a campaign missive, it said, "Albany's homeowners, renters, businesses and workers deserve nothing less than a City Hall committed to fiscal competency and equity."

The letter might be overly harsh, since Sheehan's proposed budget, while hardly daring or likely to change the city's long-term fiscal direction, still reduces spending slightly without reducing services or raising taxes.

When I asked about the notion that his father was trying to aide his candidacy, including the recent suggestion by Sheehan that "the majority leader has issues with the city of Albany," Commisso Jr. said it was a forced and false narrative and added this about the mayor: