Prior to 1968 the Town of Whitby's boundaries included Rossland Road to the north, Lake Ontario to the south, Jeffery Street to the west, and Anderson Street/Hopkins Street to the east. The remaining land to the east, west, and north to Townline Road was known as Whitby Township. The Town and Township were separate political entities.

The push to amalgamate the Town and Township began as early as 1962. The Town wanted to develop the industrial lands at the foot of Hopkins Street, owned by the Township, in order to attract industries like the Sklar Furniture factory and the Lake Ontario Steel Company (LASCO). Newman was an early supporter of amalgamation and acted as Chair of the Town's Annexation Committee.

The application for annexation was submitted to the Department of Municipal Affairs in June 1963 but the process took a few years to reach fruition. By 1966, the momentum shifted to total amalgamation rather than partial annexation.

The idea of amalgamation proposed a series of complex problems for the Town and Township surrounding infrastructure, tax base, health and emergency services, and public utilities.

The newly-elected Mayor Newman stressed that the Town had a moral responsibility to the Township. He entered into negotiations with Township Council led by Heber Down and by February 1967, the two entities agreed to a joint application for amalgamation to the Ontario Municipal Board. The OMB approved the application in July. Newman assumed the role of mayor for the new Town of Whitby by acclamation.

In his 1969 inaugural address, Mayor Newman remarked: “The amalgamation of the Town and Township of Whitby was undertaken a year ago to create a viable new municipality, better able to deal with its future in a Regional Government context. Today, the validity of that decision by those two former councils is self-evident; for the new Whitby is in a position of considerable strength with respect to this area.

The new Town was inaugurated with a 100-gun salute at midnight December 31, 1967 and a reception at the Centennial Building. Despite the merrymaking, the residents of Brooklin, Ashburn, Myrtle, and Myrtle Station fought to keep their distinct identities within the new Town. After a heated debate in February 1968, Mayor Newman recognized the historical importance of these communities and they remain distinct entities with in the Town of Whitby.