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Making his first public appearance just two days after falling short in his bid to unseat Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Astorino received a standing ovation when introduced by Marsha Gordon, president and CEO of the Business Council.
Astorino also received a loud round of applause when he announced that for the fifth straight year, the county budget will not include an increase in the tax levy. The proposed budget will be released at a news conference on Monday.
In an interview with Daily Voice prior to his speech, Astorino said he was eager to "get back in the saddle" after the election and said he and his family were planning a short vacation to recharge.
"It was grueling," Astorino said. "Today was the first day I actually got some sleep. I went to sleep at 11 o'clock last night and woke up at nine in the morning, which for me, never happens."
Following a contentious campaign, Astorino described the conversation with Cuomo in his concession call Tuesday as cordial and said Cuomo told Astorino he "ran a good campaign."
Astorino also received many individual shows of support at the event, including from former Knicks guard John Starks, who briefly interrupted the Daily Voice interview by shaking Astorino's hand and saying, "This is the man right here." (A video of the exchange is also included here.)
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