By Robert Haugh

Last year, the 49ers tried to reduce their own rent by $170 million over 40 years. The City said no, so the team went to arbitration. The 49ers lost big.  In August, the arbitrator ruled that the rent should be increased by $10 million. Wow.

In October, the City honored the law firm Hanson Bridgett for representing them. We reported that the 49ers would be stuck with the tab for the City’s legal fees. But we didn’t know how much. One of our sources said it would be in the millions.

Our source was right.

Last week, City Attorney Brian Doyle announced at the Council’s Priority Setting Meeting that the 49ers will have to pay the City “more than $2 million in attorneys’ fees and costs.” Double wow.

Of course, the team can afford it. The 49ers got their tax bill cut in half — approximately $6 million a year multiplied by their 40-year lease. They’ll be saving over $240 million that will come mostly from the Santa Clara Unified School District.

Thanks to County Assessor Larry Stone losing to the 49ers on a huge assessment appeal case — one of the biggest in County history, if not the biggest.  Stone was also one of the biggest stadium backers and has taken free tickets from the team.

Good thing for Mission City residents that Stone doesn’t moonlight by working on rent arbitration issues.