The town council shall appoint, at its first meeting following its election, a member of the bar of the State of Rhode Island to sit as judge of the probate court. Said judge shall serve for a two-year term or until a successor is appointed, or the office abolished. Any person so appointed need not be a resident of Middletown. Whenever such judge of the probate court is a party or interested in any proceeding about to be heard in his or her court, or is absent or unable to perform his or her duties, or there is a vacancy in the office of judge, the council shall designate a qualified member of the bar of the State of Rhode Island to act as a probate judge. The fact of such interest, absence, inability or vacancy shall be recorded in the records of said court. (Amended, November 5, 2002; Amended, November 4, 2008.)