Councillors discarded a recommendation they either reappoint Ms Graham for two years or advertise the position.
The meeting in April spanned almost seven hours and included a performance review, consideration of supplementary material, a lunch break and, ultimately, appointing Ms Graham for a second term of one year from Sunday.
The ODT is unable to declare the breakdown of the voting from the councillor-only confidential meeting, but the council released procedural information after discussions with the Office of the Ombudsman.
This was from the meeting agenda and the minutes, which included a reference to Ms Graham working with an executive coach.
The council apologised for not releasing information earlier.
Significant information was still redacted to protect the chief executive’s privacy.
"I do not consider that there is a basis for releasing any more information from the record of this meeting," Chief Ombudsman John Allen said.
Ms Graham was appointed chief executive in 2020.
The council was required to carry out a statutory review process no less than six months before the five-year term was due to finish.
In April this year, councillors had the choice of extending her contract by up to two years or starting a recruitment process to seek applications from the market.
The agenda for the April 3 meeting included a recommendation Ms Graham be appointed for a second term of two years or that a vacancy be advertised.
Ms Graham had also indicated she wanted a two-year extension.
In the executive summary of a supplementary report, it was stated the review must assess the performance of the chief executive, along with the mix of skills and attributes she possessed, and their consistency with the skills and attributes the council considered necessary for the future.
Ms Graham’s executive coach, Charlotte Walshe, prepared a report for the meeting.
An employee survey was also undertaken by Sheffield senior consultant Louise Green.
The meeting began at 10.06am.
The minutes recorded Ms Graham commented she had focused on what had been achieved as an organisation and the need for aspirational vision of the way forward for the city.
At 3.52pm, the council was yet to decide on whether to appoint Ms Graham for a second term.
Dunedin Mayor Jules Radich then put up a motion that the meeting be extended beyond six hours.
The council agreed on two uncontroversial resolutions — that it note completion of the review and that the mayor be appointed as the council’s spokesman on what it was to decide next.
A segment of the minutes was redacted, followed by the council voting to appoint Ms Graham for a second term of one year.
The vote was taken by division, which means each elected member is required to state individually how they are voting.
The meeting concluded at 5.04pm.
