MINOT — Selectmen would like to see a strong turnout at Saturday’s annual town meeting.

“We’d like to see the gym filled. The more people who show up, the better idea we can get for what sort of budget people want to support,” Selectman Eda Tripp said.

While there is a great deal of uncertainty in the level of support municipalities can count on coming from the state, selectmen figure that even a “hold the line” budget at the local level could mean a 10 percent property tax increase.

The town could lose as much as $200,000 just in state revenue sharing, if current proposals hold.

“We’re looking at a two-mill increase, and that’s before you figure in what’s going to happen to the school budget,” Tripp said.

It is also before you figure in a couple of big-ticket items that are up for approval: a major addition to the Central Fire Station and a proposed 38- by 44-foot addition to the town garage.

The fire station addition is estimated to cost $536,000, which would be financed over 10 years. The town garage addition would cost under $40,000, with labor supplied by the town’s road crew.

Since the original Central Fire Station was built, the services provided by the department have expanded to include rescue services. The result is inadequate space for fire and rescue.

The garage addition is needed to house equipment that is parked outside, Selectman Dean Campbell said.

“It is important in the winter that the equipment be parked inside, out of the weather and ready to respond,” Campbell said.

Voters also will be asked to approve a beefed-up paving budget, one that Town Administrator Arlan Saunders said tries to get the amount to a level that would properly maintain town roads for the long run.

“Pavement lasts from seven to 10 years, depending on how good the base is. It would take us about 15 years to go over all the town roads, based on what we spent last year. That’s just not sustainable,” Saunders said.

The amount being requested for paving is about $87,000 higher than last year.

The town Budget Committee is recommending that voters approve the request for additional spending for the paving program.

The Budget Committee is recommending against the additions to the fire station and town highway garage at this time.

The business portion of the town meeting will commence at 9 a.m. Saturday at the Minot Consolidated School gymnasium.

Municipal elections will be held Friday, with polls open from 4 to 8 p.m.

Townspeople will elect two selectmen and two representatives to the RSU 16 School Committee, all for three-year terms.

There are no contested seats for either board.

Only one name appears on the ballot as running for selectman, that of Stephen French, who is currently on the board.

Selectman Daniel Gilpatric, whose three-year term is also expiring, missed the deadline for filing his nomination papers and has announced that he is running as a write-in candidate.

Seeking to fill two positions on the RSU 16 School Committee are Steve Holbrook and Annette Hemond.

Holbrook is currently on the committee. Hemond, a former committee member, is seeking the seat now occupied by Sue Callahan, who is not running for another term.