 Stephen Scholey was elected Alderman for the new municipality on 25 April 1862; and on 2 May 1867, he was commissioned by the Colonial Office, with a Letters Patent from the colony's governor, Sir John Young (and witnessed by Henry Parkes, who had stood for election to the Legislative Assembly in Scholey's East Maitland in August 1863, but was defeated by J.B. Darvall), to that effect, to be Warden and President of the Maitland District Council.In 1869 he stood unsuccessfully for a seat in the colony's parliament, coming second, losing by just 35 votes.