Kristyn Anderson, an attorney who spent more than two decades working in state government, will take over as Minneapolis city attorney after the City Council approved her nomination Thursday morning.

Anderson will begin the new job Sept. 26, making her the fifth person to helm the city attorney's office in four years. As city attorney, Anderson will oversee a civil division that provides guidance to elected officials and city staff and defends the city against lawsuits, as well as a criminal division that prosecutes misdemeanor crimes that happen within the city.

"I want nothing more than to give back to this city that has given me so much," Anderson said in a statement released shortly after the vote. "I want to help City leaders enact change to improve the lives of the people of Minneapolis."

Anderson currently serves as general counsel in the Minnesota Department of Management and Budget and state ethics offices. Before working in that department, she spent nearly 14 years working in the civil division of the Minnesota Attorney General's Office.

A public hearing on her nomination earlier this week drew a handful of speakers, all of whom spoke in favor of her selection. Council members asked how she would balance requests from the mayor's office, council members and various departments — entities whose needs and desires might vary. Anderson said she would be an "honest actor" working "with transparency and integrity" and that she would give the same legal advice no matter who is asking her.

Multiple council members also asked how she would ensure that outside law firms providing assistance to the city were working in its best interest. Anderson said she would always keep in mind that the city is her client and "I don't let someone go forth with a strategy that I think is inappropriate for my client."

Anderson's nomination passed with a 12-0 vote Thursday morning. Council Member Andrew Johnson was absent. The position comes with a salary ranging from roughly $172,000 to $217,000.

Interim City Attorney Peter Ginder will continue to lead the office until Anderson begins work.