The State of Delaware has lost a donated antiquity according to the State Auditor’s office.
A report from State Auditor Thomas Wagner (R) indicates state officials have been unable to locate a donated Kerman carpet since 2000. The carpet was valued at $12,000 at the time it was donated in 1998. It was meant for use at Woodburn, the governor’s mansion.
Chief administrative auditor Kathleen O’Donnell explains the attempt to track down the missing carpet has led to the discovery of other errors within the state’s records.
"(The State) has an asset listing that they construct whenever items are donated or moved around," said O'Donnell. "And by virtue of testing that listing for other assets, we found that they weren't the places that they were supposed to be located."
O’Donnell adds that while efforts are being made to improve inventory and maintenance practices, the decision to donate must not be made lightly.
"The citizens of Delaware should be forewarned that it's a difficult task to manage assets for decades," said O'Donnell. "The state is taking effort they can to try and safe guard those assets, but over the long term it is a high risk situation."
The state was alerted to the loss of the carpet by a complaint letter from the daughter of the original donor.
