Aamer Madhani

USA TODAY

Residents in Ferguson, Mo., re-elected Mayor James Knowles III, the public face for the community during the unrest that followed the controversial 2014 police shooting death of Michael Brown, to a third term in office.

Knowles held off a challenge from city council member Ella Jones, 62, a former Mary Kay Cosmetics sales director who was seeking to become Ferguson’s first black mayor in the community’s 123-year history. Knowles held a 56% to 43% lead with all votes counted, according to the St. Louis County Election Board.

The two-term mayor — and this community — were thrust into the international spotlight after the fatal shooting of the black teen by a white police officer, an incident that spurred months of protests and racial strife in this community near St. Louis. The incident also turned Ferguson into the focal point of the larger national debate about policing in African-American communities.

Knowles, who was facing voters for the first time since the unrest, made the case to voters ahead of Tuesday’s election that this community needed continuity as it tries to rebound in the aftermath of the Brown shooting.

"Ferguson has a bright future, but like I've said (before) we have to be careful with how we spend our money," Knowles said after sealing his victory ."We have to get the best return on all our investments. We have to make sure that we don't repeat errors of the past. I think a lot of that comes with experience."

The former officer involved in the shooting, Darren Wilson, was cleared of wrongdoing by a St. Louis County grand jury and the Justice Department.

But in the aftermath of the unrest, the U.S. Justice Department launched an investigation in Ferguson and found the city’s police and municipal court system had disproportionately targeted African-American residents.

The city was forced to revamp its municipal court system, which for years had filled Ferguson coffers with its overreliance on ticketing — particularly of black residents — for traffic and other minor violations. With the changes to the court system, fines and fees have fallen to less than $600,000 last year, down from nearly $2 million in 2014.

Knowles sought to distance himself from DOJ criticism that the town’s municipal court system had long been used to fill Ferguson’s coffers and was beset by discriminatory policing. The city charter, Knowles noted, entrusted hiring, firing and most other decisions on day-to-day matters to the city manager

The mayor also faced criticism from black residents and activists during the early days of the 2014 protests after he insisted in a television interview that there was no racial divide in Ferguson. He later said he regretted the comment.

The city faced a $2.8 million deficit, mostly accumulated for paying overtime to police officers dealing with protesters following the Brown shooting. Ferguson also faces another $2.3 million in costs in implementing the consent decree — which mandates diversity training for officers and establishment of a civilian police oversight board, as well as implementing new rules for retention and use of police body cameras and other changes.

On Monday, Attorney General Jeff Sessions announced a review of police reform agreements and investigations, such as the one in Ferguson, initiated by the Justice Department during the Obama administration. It remains unclear what impact the review could have on Ferguson.

The town of 21,000 residents is about 67% black, but until recently African Americans were underrepresented on city council and on the police force.

Before the shooting death of Brown, only one of the six members of the city’s six council members were black.

Jones, who was elected to her seat seven months after the Brown incident, is one of three African American members of the city council. She blamed her loss on voter apathy.

"People have to want change," Jones said. "You can't make change for them."

Read more:

Ferguson mayor faces voters for first time since unrest

'Ferguson effect': 72% of U.S. cops reluctant to make stops

Sessions orders sweeping review of police reform

New surveillance video of Michael Brown hours before fatal shooting

Contributing: KSDK-TV

Follow Aamer Madhani on Twitter: @AamerISmad