Spokesman for Ferguson Confirms City Will Not Fund Michael Brown Plaque

A city official for Ferguson, Missouri has clarified that a new plaque dedicated to deceased teen Michael Brown will not be funded for by the city.

Earlier this week, Ferguson Mayor James Knowles III joined Michael Brown Sr. to announce that a permanent plaque honoring 18-year-old Michael Brown would replace a temporary plaque on the Ferguson street of Canefield Drive.

Following Brown's death in 2014, mourners have placed flowers, teddy bears and other items to form a makeshift memorial on Canefield Drive. Ferguson's mayor cited safety issues and the repaving of the street as reasons to remove the temporary memorial and instead have the plaque erected on a private property on the side of the street.

Ferguson spokesperson Jeff Small clarified to The Christian Post in an interview this week that the plaque will not be funded by the city of Ferguson.

"We've always been involved in discussions with 'what do you do with it,' but we also understand that many taxpayers were concerned city dollars not be spent on anything to do with that. We have maintained all along that while we will participate in these discussions [...] we will not designate city money to be used for this and we've kept that promise," Small told the Christian media outlet. "The city is going to do the work, but only with the other folks footing the bill for it."

The St. Louis Dispatch previously reported that the permament plaque, which shows an image of Brown in his graduation cap and gown and a golden dove, will be funded by the Urban League of Metropolitan St. Louis.