St. Charles County is mourning the death of Scott Shipman, who served as the County’s elected assessor from 2002 to 2023.
He passed away on May 22 after a long struggle with cancer. He was 64. The family says no service is planned, but a celebration of life will be announced at a later date.
“He was a great Assessor and an even greater man,” says County Executive Steve Ehlmann. “Scott was very professional, very accomplished in what he did. And at the same time, he was a great friend and a great family man.”
Shipman started in the Assessor’s office as a field appraiser in the early 1980s and worked his way up to appraisal manager, supervising a team of two dozen people.
After winning the election to the office of Assessor in 2002, he served for 21 years, overseeing a team that assessed both real and personal property. Every two years, his staff of 47 estimated the value of 165,000 parcels of real property in the county.
Shipman won re-election five times, a testament to his popularity with voters.
Coworkers remember Shipman was always willing to answer questions from the public. He would tell his staff that if the public can’t get what they need, to have them call him.
Shipman is also credited with modernizing the department, going paper-free for field data collection, and allowing taxpayers to look up their property online.
“He was my mentor and taught me so much about life,” says current Assessor Travis Welge. “He gave straightforward advice and wouldn’t tell you what to do, but he would ask questions to help you decide what’s the right thing to do. He knew how to lighten the mood with a joke but could also be serious at the same time.”
Around the office, Shipman was well-liked for recognizing birthdays and encouraging staffers to bring in their crockpots for the annual chili cookoff or other morale-boosting events.
“He encouraged everyone to be the best version of themselves and led by example,” Welge says.
After he left his job as St. Charles County Assessor, Shipman worked for a local bank as a loan collateral manager. He also served on the St. Louis Board of Equalization and as a Right-of-Way Commissioner for local courts.
In April of this year, Shipman won the Ward 4 seat for the St. Charles City Council, beating incumbent Mary West by 65% of the vote.
Shipman is survived by his wife, Chris, and two children, a son, Carver, and a daughter, Eastin.