We can’t say we were too surprised by Crestwood City Administrator Frank Myers’ announcement that he is leaving the city for another position.

It had been rumored for quite some time that he was actively seeking another job, and Glendale was fortunate enough to be able to secure his services as its new city administrator. It would appear to be a good deal for Frank as he will be paid the same $91,800 annual salary that he made in Crestwood and will receive a more comprehensive benefits package.

In news accounts that have been published about his departure, Frank, to put it kindly, has been very self-congratulatory about his work since February 2006, but has not neglected to give credit to the “team.”

We had high hopes for Frank when he was hired, particularly after he told elected officials and residents that he had every confidence the city could overcome the challenges it was facing.

But his success is debatable.

Take the Westfield Shoppingtown Crestwood, for example. When Frank was hired two years ago, he urged aldermen not to be discouraged, saying, “… I’ve seen some malls in much worse shape than that mall. That mall still has a tremendous amount of synergy to it. There’s still an awful lot of activity there and a lot to build upon. So I just want to encourage you. Don’t get discouraged as you see a few vacant storefronts …”

Two years later, the condition of the mall is worse with many more vacancies. Perhaps Ward 2 Alderman Chris Pickel said it best recently: “… If you go back three years, things weren’t as dire as they are right now. Certainly, the decline of the mall has accelerated in the last couple years …”

Frank also believes the city is better off financially than it was two years ago, but we remain skeptical as financial projections under his tenure often fluctuated from week to week.

After all, Frank is the one who said, “A cash-flow analysis is not what our staff particularly … we don’t do this on a regular basis.”

And Frank never appeared comfortable with scrutiny from the press. In fact, several times he called our office to complain about our “aggressive” coverage of Crestwood. To us, it would appear that Frank has wisely taken Harry Truman’s advice: If you can’t stand the heat, get out of the kitchen.

We wish Mayor Roy Robinson the best of luck in finding a replacement.

Above all, he should find a city administrator who will fight for Crestwood and who will not make excuses for the obstacles it currently faces.