SPRINGFIELD – Three more Western Massachusetts’ cities joined the list of municipalities to sign Community Compact agreements with the Commonwealth. The mayors of Springfield, Holyoke and Westfield signed the compact with Lt. Gov. Karyn Polito at the Springfield City Hall on Dec. 1.

Community Compacts allow cities and towns in the Commonwealth to identify up to three best practice areas on which to focus. By signing the compact, municipalities gain “bonus points,” according to Polito, when it comes to applying for statewide grants.

Polito said those cities and towns that sign a Community Compact will be fully supported by the state.

“For us in state government, for [Gov. Charlie Baker] and I, our state cabinet, our resources, we will be available to you so you can see your dream and make your vision come true. That is really what this is all about,” she said. “It takes really strong leadership, and that’s exactly what is evident here.”

Polito explained that both she and Baker served on their own towns’ Select Boards, which is why they felt comfortable putting most of the control in the hands of those at the municipal level.

“In a nutshell, the program is really all about preparing communities for success. One of the things that guides our administration is making sure that means success for every city and town in this Commonwealth, no matter where they are, from one end to another,” Polito said.

Mayor Domenic Sarno explained that Springfield’s best practices are economic development, early education and information technology (IT) infrastructure.

Sarno said the Community Compact agreement allows Springfield to “continue collaboration and cooperation in streamlining the bureaucratic process by working hand in hand with state.”

Focusing on economic development as one of its best practices, Chief Administrative and Finance Officer T.J. Plante said job creation and retention is a priority for the city.

The early education best practice will allow Springfield to focus on public-private partnerships to benefit the city’s students. This includes the new Springfield Cooperative Preschool, created out of a partnership between Springfield Public Schools, Square One, YMCA Early Learning Center and HCS Head Start.

These best practices, Sarno said, boil down to the core of what the city hopes to achieve.

“As any urban mayor in America knows, to knock down poverty and public safety issues you need three things: family, education and jobs,” he said.

Mayor Alex Morse of Holyoke said the best practices selected for his city reflect inward financial planning, as well as job creation within the city. Morse and city officials will be focusing on long-range planning and financial forecasting, capital planning and economic development.

Having the chance to think about the long term will allow the city to “streamline the way we do business,” Morse said.

Though the internal focus will help the city to plan more efficiently, the economic development best practice pushes to enhance already established goals.

“While we’re focusing internally on government, how to perform better within City Hall, we’re also looking outward to economic development in partnership with the state, looking at what local investments we can make to make the city more attractive to for-profit investments, which we’ve already been successful in doing,” Morse said. “We want to amplify that and then look at how do we create jobs and expand our tax base in a way that’s going to help people be able to find jobs first and foremost.”

Morse said he appreciated the trust by the governor’s office to allow cities and towns make decisions that are best.

“I know this is a renewed commitment and focus on operation with mayors because mayors and their constituents know their city the best,” Morse said. “I’m glad the Baker-Polito administration recognizes that and wants to empower us to better serve our people and our community.”

Westfield’s Acting Mayor and Mayor Elect Brian Sullivan said his city will choose to focus in two areas to start: economic development and maximizing energy efficiency and renewable opportunities.

While Westfield’s revitalization of downtown has been a focus for years, Sullivan said the partnership with the state represents a citywide effort, as well as across the region.

“We already are figuring out where Westfield fits in this region in regards to business development and economic development, and this pact that we’re signing today is going to help us enforce what we’re trying to do within the business community as well as getting our students prepared for jobs as they graduate our high school,” Sullivan said. “…With the economic development, it’s more about the region in regards to that because Western Massachusetts is unique and different, but Holyoke, Chicopee, Springfield, Westfield and West Springfield, we’re always going to be competing with each other. To get a regional approach on economic development is a grand idea.”

In terms of energy efficiency, the city will be looking at ways to cut use and costs in municipal buildings.