(a) Until a vacancy in the office of judge of the probate court is filled, the chief judge of the city or state court, as the case may be, shall serve as the judge and shall be vested with all the powers of the judge. If there is no such chief judge or if for some reason the chief judge cannot serve as judge, the clerk of the superior court of the county shall serve as judge and shall be vested with all the powers of the judge. In the event that the clerk of the superior court, for some reason, cannot serve as judge, the chief judge of the superior court of the county shall appoint a person to serve as judge; such person shall be vested with all the powers of the judge. The board of county commissioners or, in those counties which have no commissioners, the chief judge of the superior court shall fix the compensation of the person who serves as judge until the vacancy is filled. The compensation shall be paid from the general funds of the county. The fees collected during such period of time shall be paid into the general funds of the county.

(b) Reserved.