Newly elected St. Charles City Clerk Susan Hanson has declined to take office, according to a news release from the city of St. Charles.

The city says Hanson has relocated outside of St. Charles’ city limits, meaning she is no longer eligible for the position.

Hanson ran unopposed in the April 1 election after former city clerk Nancy Garrison stepped down, the release from the city said. Hanson told the city on April 15 that she would be unable to assume the post because she was relocating outside of St. Charles, a city spokesperson told The Beacon-News in an email.

Hanson was not present at the city’s swearing-in for newly elected officials on May 5 or at the first meeting of the new City Council that followed, according to the news release from the city.

Hanson lived in St. Charles for around two decades, she told The Beacon-News on Tuesday, but accepted a job offer in the Champaign-Urbana area and relocated there around the time of the April 1 election.

She works as a mental health counselor, and said her new job at a community center downstate involves working with students, and with adults with substance abuse issues.

“There’s such a need down here, that I felt … that maybe I could do more good in mental health work down here,” Hanson told The Beacon-News on Tuesday.

She said leaving St. Charles was “a hard decision to make,” and that she had been looking forward to taking on the role of city clerk, but that she felt moving was the right step for herself and her family.

Hanson told with the city about her situation, but she said on Tuesday she is still finalizing the paperwork to withdraw.

If she does not file a declaration of withdrawal, the City Council will pass resolutions at its May 19 meeting declaring the vacancy and posting the opening.

Newly sworn-in Mayor Clint Hull will then appoint an individual to fill the position, the press release from the city said. Individuals interested in the post can send a resume and letter of interest to Marzena Sheets at msheets@stcharlesil.gov.

The city said it will continue to provide updates as the appointment process goes on.

mmorrow@chicagotribune.com