CLIFTON PARK — Clifton Park officials said Monday night the town's economy is better than the national average and the 2009 town budget reflects a continued optimism.

The $15.1 million budget contains no general tax. The highway tax, at 15.5 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, will remain the same as this year's.

Town Administrator Michael Shahen said the budget's anticipated revenues, mostly sales and mortgage tax collections, were conservative.

"I don't think the economy is half as bad as we're told," Shahen said Monday night.

He said government jobs tend to be more stable than private industry and the Capital Region has an abundance of government jobs.

"The Capital District suffers less because we don't have a lot of industry," he said.

Sales tax revenues are being projected for 2009 to be $10.8 million, about $700,000 less than in 2007. Mortgage tax collections for next year are expected to be $1.1 million but topped $1.7 million last year.