On 23 February 1961, Gosford Shire Council resolved to suspend the Shire Clerk, Nigel George Howes, noting dissatisfaction with his work and that they no longer had confidence in him. However, Howes later gained an Equity Court ruling that placed a suspension on Council's dismissal of him until a public inquiry could be held to investigate the Council resolution. Awaiting the results of the inquiry, Howes returned to work in March and was suspended again on 6 June 1961, with the Council then airing various allegations in the inquiry against him. On 5 August 1961, the Council was brought into disrepute again when Councillor Donald Norman Lamont was convicted on 11 counts (fined £450) for three breaches of the "Local Government Act 1919", including voting and participating in debate on several developments in which he had a significant undeclared financial interest. As a result of these events, the Minister for Local Government, Pat Hills, announced that due to the failure of council to resolve these matters and the loss of public confidence in the council, he would dismiss the Council and appoint an administrator. Subsequently, on 20 September 1961 Hills dismissed the Council and appointed the Chief Inspector of Local Government Accounts, Henry William Dane, as administrator. On the dismissal, Councillor Dangar laid the blame for the dysfunction at the feet of the acting shire president, Jack Roberts: "As soon as Councillor Barrett shire president became ill, you made no effort to work with Mr Howes and you had him sacked within two weeks." The inquiry was concluded in October 1961, with Special Magistrate E. R. Harvey finding that there was "no justification" for Council's actions to suspend the Shire Clerk. Not long after, Dane reinstated Howes to duty as Shire Clerk, and the Council would remain under administration until December 1965.