In the second sudden personnel decision of Baltimore County Executive James T. Smith Jr.'s administration, the county's drug czar - often regarded as a pioneer in the field - has been fired.

Michael M. Gimbel, director of the county's Bureau of Substance Abuse for nearly 23 years, said late Wednesday that the director of the Health Department, Dr. Michelle A. Leverett, told him there was "no place for me in the new administration."

"This was a departmental decision," Smith's spokeswoman, Elise Armacost, said yesterday. "Executive Smith is supportive of his department heads and their ability to manage their agencies."

"Purely political"

But Gimbel, who was perceived to be a friend to Smith's opponent, Douglas B. Riley, said the firing is "purely political."

Although Riley decided to focus on the county's drug problem in his election bid, Gimbel said, he never worked for Riley's campaign. "I've been loyal to whatever boss there was," he said.

However, Gimbel has also clashed with Leverett, whose spokeswoman said she could not comment on a personnel decision. No announcement has been made about Gimbel's replacement.

During the campaign, Smith said he would work with area hospitals to get them government grants to treat addicts, saying hospitals should be the first line of attack in combating the county's drug problems.

Gimbel's firing was met with dismay yesterday.

'A bad mistake'

"This a mistake - a bad mistake," said the Rev. Dred Scott, pastor of St. Matthew's United Methodist Church in Dundalk. "Mike is extremely competent, dedicated, knowledgeable - a good man. My gut feeling is that someone gave Smith some bad information."

Smith's first appointment of Robert J. Barrett, who was Ruppersberger's top aide, to replace longtime Recreation and Parks Director John F. Weber III also upset some community leaders.

Gimbel, who made $81,487 a year, was hired to head the county's substance abuse office in 1980 and has served four county executives. During his tenure, Gimbel built the county's drug office from a $50,000- a-year operation to an $11 million agency that offers various types of treatment and prevention programs, ranging from the county's first residential treatment center at the former Rosewood Hospital in Owings Mills to cable programs on addiction issues.

National attention

Gimbel's efforts have received statewide and national attention. For example, the county began coordinating post-prom parties in the early 1990s before that became common. "Last year, we sponsored 42 parties with 8,000 kids in attendance," said Gimbel. "Everything we've done has been progressive."

"We've opened more treatment slots, programs for those under-insured or without insurance, for those at the detention center, for the county's homeless," said Gimbel, who brought personal experience to the job as a former heroin addict.

The county also received recognition for its substance abuse intervention programs, such as the ones that take at-risk youths to Maryland Shock Trauma Center. With more than 125 chapters of Students Against Drunk Driving - the most of any county in Maryland - Baltimore County is the only jurisdiction with a SADD program at the elementary-school level, said Gimbel, who credits much of the bureau's success with partnerships in the community and county, including those with churches, police and schools.

"That hurts a lot"

"To be treated this way after 23 years of blood, sweat and tears, of giving everything of myself, without a reason ... that hurts a lot. This has been my life," Gimbel said. "I always believed you work for the people. If I thought I wasn't able to do that, I would've stepped down a long time ago. But I'm not burned out. There's so much more to do."

Gimbel says he is considering challenging his firing. Not an appointee, Gimbel was classified as a part-time county employee.