Business License Official

JOB SUMMARY

The Business License Official administers, manages, and enforces the Business License Ordinance and the Hospitality Tax Ordinance in order to collect revenue for the Town of Mount Pleasant.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Provides estimates and directs the collection of multiple Town revenues.
• Formulates, recommends and implements procedures and policies in compliance with town ordinances and State law, for the collection of business license taxes and hospitality taxes.
• Directs, schedules, and monitors the division’s work activities to include service to walk-in business representatives, field inspections, audits, fiscal reporting, processing of written correspondence, and managing of complex licensing matters.
• Supervises and evaluates subordinate employees.
• Coordinates daily revenue collection processes to include business license taxes, building permit fees, franchise fees, and various revenues from collection programs.
• Serves as liaison officer to confer with Charleston County and the Municipal Association for South Carolina in order to facilitate hospitality, insurance, and telecommunications tax collections.
• Prepares division reports to include collection activities as compared with budgeted revenues, new business information and other division responsibilities.
• Attends all meetings related to the collection and fiscal impact of business license taxes and hospitality taxes; presents information to the finance committee.
• Plans and directs research studies to ensure effective operations and/or to establish or modify standards.
• Consults with other government agencies, business community and private organization to discuss ordinance interpretations and applications in order to resolve issues.
• Recommends ordinance changes and administrative procedures to reflect technological and legislative changes, public sentiment and case law.
• Responds to specific information requests from business owners and other municipal officers.
• Reviews related Town Ordinances to ensure current standards and provisions.
• Calculates business license taxes and hospitality taxes in accordance with Town Ordinances; reconciles collections on a daily and monthly basis.
• Investigates newly established businesses to ensure compliance.
• Represents the Town in the Business License Appeal Process.
• Reviews, compiles data and renders decisions involving delinquent accounts.
• Issues citations and business license assessments to business owners not in compliance with the Ordinances.
• Reviews and interprets information for court action.
• Works with other Town Officers in the Planning and Police Departments to ensure compliance with other Town Codes.
• Performs other related assigned duties.

MINIMUM REQUIREMENTS TO PERFORM WORK:

• Bachelor degree in Business Administration, Accounting or a closely related field and five (5) years of business related work experience with at least three (3) years of supervisory experience
• Or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Preferred Master Business License Official (MBL) from the South Carolina Business License Officials Association.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

• Ability to establish good working relationships within the business community, Town staff, and general public;
• Ability to meet and deal with the public effectively and appropriately;
• Ability to operate a computer
• Ability to maintain confidential information
• Ability to manage multiple tasks in a detailed and timely manner
• Skill in the use of leadership and supervising;
• Ability to prioritize and organize work;
• Ability to communicate orally and in writing with individuals with varying backgrounds and education levels in a professional manner.

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to talk or hear. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, usage of computers and reading.

This position requires substantial repetitive motion of wrists, hands, and fingers. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; use hands to finger, handle, grasp or feel; and reach with hands and arms.

The employee consistently maintains balance either sitting, standing or walking and is occasionally required to stoop or crouch. The employee may occasionally push, pull or lift and move objects up to 10 pounds.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The work environment involves everyday discomforts typical of offices, with occasional exposure to outside elements. Noise or physical surroundings may be distracting, but conditions are generally not unpleasant.