(Salem OR) – Oregon State Economist Mark McMullen has announced his resignation from the political position he has held for over a dozen years. McMullen confirmed on Thursday that he submitted his resignation letter to Gov. Tina Kotek’s office last week and will officially step-down next month. He will be transitioning to a new role as the vice president of policy and research at Common Sense Institute Oregon, a nonpartisan organization focused on business-oriented research, which recently expanded its presence to Oregon earlier this year.
The state economist’s position is widely regarded as one of the most challenging roles in Salem, with a 2018 legislative resolution referring to it as “the least enviable in all of state government.” This challenging role requires the state economist to present revenue estimates to lawmakers every three months, forecasting how much tax revenue the state is expected to collect in the upcoming months and years.
These forecasts are critical as they provide foundational data for lawmakers to craft a two-year budget during odd years. They also serve as indicators of whether the state’s projected revenue will be sufficient to cover the budget, prompting legislators to make adjustments to expenditures based on the economic outlook.
