The mayor of Ferguson has refused to step down in the midst of rising calls for his resignation and a scathing Department of Justice report that has already cost the jobs of six city employees. Mayor James Knowles III, who makes just $4,200 a year, said he will stay to see the city through the changes it must make. On Friday, five residents filed an affidavit seeking to recall Knowles. They have 60 days to collect enough signatures, which is 15 percent of registered voters in the last mayoral election, to qualify for a special election. Scroll down for video . Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III has refused to step down in the midst of rising calls for his resignation and a scathing Department of Justice report that has already cost the jobs of six city employees . A Justice Department investigation found patterns of racial bias in the Ferguson police department and at the municipal jail and court. Knowles said he will stay to see the city through the changes it must make . Justice Department officials found from 2012 to 2014 that black motorists in Ferguson, Missouri, were more than twice as likely as whites to be searched in traffic stops, even though they were 26 per cent less likely to be found carrying contraband. African-Americans were 68 per cent less likely than others to have their cases dismissed by a municipal court judge. And from April to September of last year, 95 per cent of people kept at the city jail for more than two days were black, the six-month inquiry found. Of the cases in which the police department documented the use of force, 88 per cent involved blacks, and victims of the 14 dog bites recorded by the department all were black. Overall, African Americans make up 67 per cent of the population of Ferguson, about 10 miles north of downtown St. Louis. Critics believe Knowles had to have known about the widespread racial profiling and bias that the Department of Justice report revealed was occurring in both the Ferguson police department and the city's municipal court. The city's manager, police chief and a municipal court judge are among the people who have since been fired or stepped down. But Knowles has opened a City Hall office and said he has no plans to step aside. 'Obviously there are people on the street calling for my resignation, but my voicemail, my text messages and my Facebook are full with literally hundreds of people who want me to stay,' he said. 'Somebody has to show leadership, and I'm focused on how we can move this community forward.' Knowles, a Ferguson native, said the public servant position was merely a ceremonial position until Officer Darren Wilson shot 18-year-old Michael Brown and the city was suddenly thrust in the national spotlight. After the shooting Knowles and Police Chief Tom Jackson became the public face of Ferguson, holding news conferences, hosting public forums and reaching out to civil rights leaders and protesters. Meanwhile, City Manager John Shaw, who made $120,000 a year until he resigned Tuesday, remained out of sight. On Friday, five residents filed an affidavit seeking to recall Knowles (pictured here with pro-police demonstrators). They have 60 days to collect enough signatures to qualify for a special election . Knowles was elected to his current post in 2011 and became one of Missouri's youngest mayors. He was re-elected without opposition in 2014. He also has a full-time job as general manager of the state-contracted motor vehicle license office in the city. Knowles said he typically works 60-hour weeks and evenly splits him time between his two jobs, which are walking distance from each other. Former Mayor Brian Fletcher believes Knowles, who isn't up for re-election for another two years, will be able to ride out the storm. 'He's in a tough situation,' Fletcher said. 'He's taken a lead.' 'From the people I've talked to, they're very pleased with the way he's handled himself under a very difficult circumstance, a very difficult time for our community.' Ferguson Police Chief Thomas Jackson (pictured August 2014) resigned on Wednesday . Ferguson municipal court judge Ronald J. Brockmeyer (left) resigned on Monday following a scathing report from the U.S. Department of Justice. City manager John Shaw (right) resigned on Tuesday . At a council meeting Tuesday, Knowles sat patiently as some residents loudly called for his ouster. He was equally passive as others praised him and the council. When a brief shouting match began between a city critic and supporter, he urged both sides to calm down. Rasheen Aldridge, director of Young Activists United St. Louis and a member of the Ferguson Commission appointed by Gov. Jay Nixon, is one of the people who believes the time has come for Knowles to resign. 'When all of this stuff was going on, there's no way you can be the mayor of the town and not look at how much money is coming in,' Aldridge said. 'This is his city. He's the mayor, and he needs to be held accountable.'
Mayor James Knowles III said he will stay to see the city through the changes it must make . Five residents filed an affidavit on Friday seeking to recall the mayor . They have 60 days to collect enough signatures for a special election . Critics believe Knowles had to have known about the widespread racial  bias in Ferguson's police department and municipal court . Instances of lax police oversight, racial profiling and profit-driven court practices were revealed in the  report . City's manager, municipal court judge and police chief  all stepped down last week .