The amount of the “county of Hawaii fuel tax”, “city and county of Honolulu fuel tax”, “county of Maui fuel tax”, and “county of Kauai fuel tax”, respectively, shall be determined by resolution of the county or the city council of each county adopted in the manner provided by law relating to resolutions involving the expenditure of public money. The amount fixed by the resolution may be, per gallon, one or more cents or a fraction of a cent or both, or it may be zero. The amount fixed for alternative fuels may be proportional to the energy contents of the fuels, as determined by their lower heating values, times one-half. No resolution shall be adopted until the county or the city council shall conduct a public hearing on the amount of tax proposed. Public notice of the hearing shall be given in the county at least twice within a period of thirty days immediately preceding the date of hearing. If the resolution is adopted, it shall take effect on the first day of the second month following the date of adoption of the resolution. The county or the city council shall notify the department of taxation of any county fuel tax changes within ten days after the resolution is adopted.

Until and unless otherwise provided by resolution adopted as above provided, the amount of the “county of Hawaii fuel tax” shall be zero, the amount of the “city and county of Honolulu fuel tax” shall be 2-1/2 cents per gallon, the amount of the “county of Maui fuel tax” shall be 2 cents per gallon, and the amount of the “county of Kauai fuel tax” shall be 2 cents per gallon.