In an open show of hands, the Rutherglen resident won four votes to three against Cr Barb Murdoch, of Chiltern.

There were two nominations for the top job, with outgoing mayor Vic Issell not among them.

Cr Graham was backed by three new faces — Cr Bernard Gaffney, Cr Larry Goldsworthy and Cr Alison Pockney — while Cr Murdoch received the vote of Cr Issell and Cr Peter Croucher, who is the other new face on the Indigo Council.

Cr Gaffney will serve as deputy mayor with Cr Murdoch again being beaten by a show of hands.

It will be Cr Graham’s fifth stint as mayor, after serving in 2001, 2002, 2005 and 2006, and it is this experience he hopes will hold the shire in good stead.

“I’m very pleased,” he said.

“I’m so pleased that the council were happy to have a returning councillor lead them for the next 12 months at least.

“You’ve got four new people who are going to need to spend the initial three or four months weaning themselves in, getting the information, finding out how the system runs and then feel comfortable to make decisions.

“That won’t stop them from asking questions and being prepared to debate and try to get the answers to the questions that they want to achieve.”

Before the decision on mayor, it was decided a one-year term was appropriate in the top job.

Cr Graham backed the move.

“It means that you’ve got to be on your toes and I think that is terribly important,” he said.

Indigo Councillors’ allowance was also increased last night from $12,000 to $15,700, while the mayor will receive $47,000, up from $36,000.

Cr Graham lists the new council offices and maintaining economic growth in the shire as some of the biggest challenges in the next four years.

“We have got $434,000 from the Federal Government as part of their commitment to local governments around Australia,” he said.

“We need to make sure that we get $434,000 staying within the shire, it goes to employment and those people that are providing the services we are going to use within the shire.”