State of Maryland

A Compliance Inspector I Comptroller is the entry level of inspection, investigation and enforcement work in the Field Enforcement Division of the Comptroller of Maryland.  Employees in this classification learn to assess compliance with revenue, business and environmental laws and regulations pertaining to motor fuels, transient and fixed vendors, alcoholic beverages, tobacco products, and sales and use taxes through such means as tests of fuel coloration and quality and inspection of documents, vehicles, tax stamps and seals.  Employees in this classification do not supervise other positions.

Employees in this classification receive close supervision from a Compliance Inspector Supervisor Comptroller.  Employees are regularly required to travel to designated areas throughout the State, frequently perform inspections outdoors and may be exposed to hostile weather conditions and potentially hazardous fumes from motor fuels.  Employees may be required to perform work outside of regular work hours.

Positions in this classification are evaluated using the classification job evaluation methodology.  The use of this method involves comparing the assigned duties and responsibilities of a position to the job criteria found in the Nature of Work and Examples of Work sections of the class specification.

The Compliance Inspector I Comptroller and the Compliance Inspector II Comptroller are differentiated on the basis of degree of supervisory control exercised by the supervisor over these employees.  The Compliance Inspector I Comptroller performs duties under close supervision while the Compliance Inspector II Comptroller performs the full range of duties and responsibilities under general supervision.

Learns to conduct inspections of petroleum products, tobacco products, alcoholic beverages, licenses, tax records, invoices and other documents for the purpose of assessing compliance with federal and State laws and regulations;

Learns to inspect advertising signs, metering devices, tax stamps, seals, petroleum product coding and alcoholic beverage containers for indications of deceptive practices;

Learns to perform on-site testing and collection of fuel samples from vehicles, pumps and other sources and to transport samples for laboratory analysis;

Learns to perform on-site inspection of fuel from trucks to assess by coloration if fuels have been distributed, and sold or used according to laws and regulations;

Learns to issue and enforce stop sales orders and warnings to transient vendors, retailers and distributors who are found in non-compliance with inspection criteria;

Learns to seal pumps and confiscate tobacco products when necessary to enforce stop sales orders and related tax laws;

Learns to calculate tax liabilities due on products, receive payments and to explain the procedures for the collection and reporting of payments from registered account holders;

Learns proper procedure for confiscation of alcohol, motor fuel and tobacco products found to be in the possession of individuals or businesses, or sold in the State in violation of related laws or regulations;

Learns to advise transient vendors, retailers and distributors regarding the interpretation and application of applicable tax and inspection laws, rules and regulations and the settlement of issues;

Learns to document inspections, investigations, collections and other actions, and to prepare necessary violation reports for appropriate criminal and administrative charges;

Learns to conduct special projects, surveys and investigations requested or mandated by other divisions or the General Assembly;

Learns to testify in court and administrative hearings concerning inspections and investigations;

Learns to conduct investigations of criminal and regulatory activities involving alcohol, tobacco products, motor fuel, transient vendors and other taxes administered by the Comptroller of Maryland;

Learns to conduct stationary and mobile surveillance in and out of state;

Learns to collect taxes and records;

May learn to interact with violators and purchase contraband for use as evidence and to work in an undercover capacity;

May learn to gather intelligence on organized criminal activities and operations;

Performs other related duties.

Ability to learn inspection and investigation techniques;

Ability to learn the revenue laws, rules, regulations and procedures pertaining to transient vendors and to the sale of motor fuels, tobacco products and alcoholic beverages;

Ability to understand petroleum, tobacco and alcohol industries, including distribution and transportation systems, policies, practices and procedures;

Ability to learn the procedures for the proper handling and transporting of samples collected;

Ability to learn to read meters and use specialized sampling equipment;

Ability to calculate and collect tax receipts;

Ability to learn to prepare and interpret narrative reports, auditing reports and activity logs, and to prepare violation reports;

Ability to communicate effectively with petroleum industry owners, managers, technicians, federal and State personnel and the general public;

Ability to correctly distinguish color and detail variations in order to discover fraudulent practices such as the use of improper stamps or dyed fuels;

Ability to testify in a court of law and administrative hearings regarding inspections and investigations;

Ability to learn to properly seize alcohol, motor fuel or tobacco products found to be in the possession of individuals or businesses, or sold in violation of related laws or regulations.

Education:   Graduation from an accredited high school or possession of a high school equivalency certificate.

Experience: One year of experience inspecting the sale and distribution of petroleum products, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products to assess compliance with tax and other laws and regulations for a regulatory government agency, or one year documented investigative experience with a bona fide law enforcement agency.

Notes:

1. Candidates may substitute one year of experience in general inspection or investigation work or administering the transportation, distribution or sale of petroleum products, alcoholic beverages or cigarettes for each six months of the required experience.

2. Candidates may substitute additional experience inspecting the sale and distribution of petroleum products, alcoholic beverages and tobacco products to assess compliance with tax and other laws and regulations for a regulatory government agency on a year-for-year basis for the required education.

3. Candidates may substitute U.S. Armed Forces military service experience as a non-commissioned officer in general inspection, investigation, enforcement, and compliance classification or general inspection, investigation, enforcement, and compliance specialty codes in the logistics field of work on a year-for-year basis for the required experience. 

Class specifications are broad descriptions covering groups of positions used by various State departments and agencies. Position descriptions maintained by the using department or agency specifically address the essential job functions of each position.

This is a Skilled Service classification in the State Personnel Management System.  All positions in this classification are Skilled Service positions.  Some positions in Skilled Service classifications may be designated Special Appointment in accordance with the State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 6-405, Annotated Code of Maryland.

This classification is assigned to Bargaining Unit C, Regulatory, Inspection and Licensure classes. As provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 3-102, special appointment, temporary, contractual, supervisory, managerial, and confidential employees are excluded from collective bargaining. Additionally, certain executive branch agencies are exempt from collective bargaining and all positions in those agencies are excluded from collective bargaining.

Employees in this classification are eligible to receive overtime compensation. An employee who works more than the normal workweek is entitled to be compensated for that overtime as provided by State Personnel and Pensions Article, Section 8-305.

This classification is one level in a Non-Competitive Promotion (NCP) series. NCP promotions are promotions by which employees may advance in grade and class level from trainee to full performance level in a classification series. In order to be non-competitively promoted to the next level in a NCP series an employee must: 1) perform the main purpose of the class as defined in the Nature of Work section of the class specification; 2) receive the type of supervision defined in the class specification, and 3) meet the minimum qualifications of the classification.