The Maui County Council passed a bill on first reading Friday that would raise the fines on drivers caught blasting their music.

During discussions, no one stood up for the drivers who cruise Maui County’s roads radiating music across the landscape, but some of the elected officials disagreed about how best to address what Council Chair Alice Lee described as an “escalating issue.”

As a result, Bill 119 passed 7-2 with Council members Gabe Johnson and Keani Rawlins-Fernandez opposed. If passed on second reading, Bill 119 would increase the fines on drivers with overly loud stereos to $500 for the first violation, $750 for a second violation and $1,000 for a third and any subsequent offenses.

Currently, the fines are $25-$100 for the first violation, $100-$250 for a second violation and $250-$500 for a third offense, though police have said the code is rarely enforced.

Lee said she proposed Bill 119 in response to residents’ and business owners’ complaints, and this would be the first update to the Maui County Code on noise control in almost 35 years.

“It’s very disturbing when people complain that their spouses or family members are sick and it’s affecting them,” Lee said. “The blaring noise is so loud it shakes their homes. This is a serious matter.”

During discussions, Lee and other County Council members repeatedly referenced residents whose walls are being shaken at all hours by drivers pumping out music. Supporters of Bill 119 argued that the loud music is not only inconsiderate, but can startle elderly pedestrians causing falls, drown out other sounds like emergency sirens and pose public safety risks.

Lee’s experience with residents being haunted by loud car stereos was echoed by other County Council members who’ve heard the same complaints in their districts.

“I’m just really supportive of this,” Council member Tom Cook said before the vote. “I get a lot of complaints. When I’m driving, I’m at a stoplight and my windows are vibrating — I’m hopeful that they will get this under control.”

Lee said steps can be taken to prevent these disturbances, and police have told her they will try to increase enforcement. Lee and other Council members also talked about the possibility of installing cameras with audio to help identify offenders at some point in the future.

The bill originally called for repeat offenders to forfeit their sound systems, but the County Council ditched that part of Bill 119 after police and prosecutors expressed concerns about the logistics of removing people’s car stereos.

The seven County Council members who supported the bill Friday expressed different degrees of optimism about how the new fines might change the behavior, but most felt like the higher fines were a good place to start.

However, Johnson said he opposed Bill 119 because he sees loud music as an issue that is best handled inside people’s homes, by parents teaching their children, not the government issuing “a big chunky fine.”

Johnson said that after someone gets hit with such a hefty fine, they can lose their license and that can lead to a downward spiral that ultimately costs taxpayers.

“If (offenders) can’t afford (the fine), then their license will expire, and you can’t get a new renewed license with outstanding fines,” Johnson said. “Next thing you know, you’re driving with an expired license. Next thing you know, you’re up for 30 days in jail. Last time I checked, it was $300 a day for a person to sit in jail. That’s way overboard for what we’re talking about today.”

Johnson said he would prefer Maui police focus on more important infractions like speeding, running red lights and other traffic violations.

“Those are things I would like our traffic police officers to address on their 12-hour shifts; that’s all they got,” he said. “Do (police) want to prioritize loud stereos or do they want to prioritize speeding, DUIs, things that kill on a regular basis? Tints, tires and stereos are not a priority for our police officers.”

Other County Council members also said they also had reservations about trying to “regulate social decorum,” but still supported the bill.

“It is unfortunate we have to legislate social decorum, but sometimes that’s what we need to do, which is why we have don’t drink and drive. That should be obvious, but it’s clearly not for some,” Council member Nohelani U’u-Hodgins said. “So just, you know, turn down the volume just a little bit, and then when you are far away from others, go ahead and vibe, but not around others.”