Last updated on April 9, 2018
By Lauren Whitaker
Leonard Assante, Volunteer State Community College professor, is running for sixth district county commissioner in Sumner County as a democratic candidate.
Assante has been an educator in Sumner County for 20 years. As an educator, he has become familiar with the inner needs of education.
This fact was one of the main reasons Assante felt compelled to run for county commissioner.
“I have thought about it before, but I thought the time was right, right now, because I really thought I had something to offer. I finally thought I had enough experience and knowledge that I think I can make some good decisions and a positive contribution,” Assante said.
County commissioners are elected officials who help govern the county by making decisions on subjects like zoning, solid waste collection, budgets, education, and mass transit. Commissioners meet twice a month to address issues and amend them to the best of their knowledge to encourage the county to prosper.
Assante is running unopposed in the democratic primary for one of the two positions up for reelection for the sixth district county commissioner. He will have two opponents that are running in the republican primary.
Assante’s mantra is to help Sumner County thrive while maintaining a small-town feel.
“When most people talk about the local politics, everything always seems to come back to, ‘What is their vision for Sumner County?’” Assante said. “Most people who live here kind of want it to stay the way it is. A unique nature of our county is that it’s close to Nashville, but it’s still got that small-town aspect to it. I want to help keep Sumner County from turning into another suburban sprawl.”
Assante is competent in the mandatory procedures that need to be taken for proper school safety. If elected to the county commission, he hopes to contribute this knowledge to increase the safety of students across Sumner County.
“I’m opposed to these thoughts about arming teachers and whatnot. I think that makes things more dangerous, not safer. We need a school resource officer in every single school. We do not have that right now,” said Assante.
For more information pertaining to Assante and his run for county commissioner, students can visit lenassante.org.
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