You see them leading city council meetings, you see them on TV, you see their name on campaign billboards, the internet and in the newspaper. They’re the mayors of your cities.

But who are they really? Well, the Outpost is on a mission to find out in a series called “Meet The Mayor.”

First up: The mayor of Arcata.

He’s a quirky character who’s always out and about — small in stature but big in personality. His name’s Paul Pitino. He first served on the Arcata City Council in 2004 and now he’s the mayor.

Pitino is a Green Party progressive who advocates buying local and keeping corporate rule out of Humboldt County. He takes great pride in his garden, is a self-employed landscaper and his work truck is completely covered in bumper stickers.

Pitino hails from northeast L.A., but after major consideration determined Arcata was a better fit for his lifestyle. He has high hopes for a premier destination dog park in the city and a low-cost “village style” housing project to help the homeless.

He’s a guy that waves, smiles and chats with every person he encounters. If the city of Arcata could walk and talk, it would be Pitino.