Recently the adage “Act in haste, repent at leisure” was brought home to me, painfully.

I acted in haste, signing an argument against the City of Santa Barbara’s Measure A on the March 5 ballot.

And then, boy, did I repent. I signed a rebuttal against my own argument.

Let me explain why I changed my mind, and why you should vote “Yes” on this ballot measure.

Measure A makes a change to the City Charter, our city’s constitution. Specifically, it would change Section 519 (“Contracts on Public Works”).

Currently that section requires that, with a few exceptions, contracts for the construction of public works projects — roads, bridges, buildings, water treatment plants or any other city infrastructure — must be awarded to “the lowest responsible bidder.”

“Responsible,” as defined by the California Supreme Court, is a very low bar.

Essentially any contractor with a license to do the proposed work is deemed “responsible.”

And that means that when the Public Works Department awards a contract, the contract must go to the lowest bidder, regardless of any other information the city might have about the bidder, for instance a history of failing to complete projects on time.

When you buy anything, whether it’s a box of Kleenex or an automobile, you don’t simply buy whatever is cheapest.

Although price is an important consideration, you weigh it among many other factors, such as quality or durability.

Because what’s cheapest may turn out to be more expensive in the long run.

I have friends who have told me, “I don’t want to give this City Council any more power.” That’s not what this ballot measure is about.

The City Council already has the power to approve silly or wasteful projects. The only cure for that is to elect responsible adults to the council.

Once a project — good, bad or indifferent — is approved, it’s the task of Public Works to choose the best contractor for the job.

We should allow the professional engineers at Public Works (not the politicians!) to consider not just the price a contractor is quoting, but whether the contractor has successfully completed similar projects in the past on time, within budget, and with a minimum of conflict. Has the contractor built projects of lasting value, that saved us money in the long run?

Other than wages and benefits, Public Works projects are the biggest expense in the city’s budget.

A “Yes” vote on Measure A will save taxpayer money by giving Public Works the tools it needs to select the contractor that can do the job for the best combination of price, quality and timeliness.