The Chicago City Council gets back to business today after some time off and the biggest item on its agenda: the 2016 budget. Mayor Rahm Emanuel officially presents his plan to the Council — a plan that includes a property tax hike of nearly $600 million. WBEZ’s Lauren Chooljian has more details on what the mayor is asking of taxpayers. On that tax hike, $45 million of the money would go to school construction. No doubt some parents whose kids attend the affluent Ogden International School on the near north side would like to see some of that money, rather than having the school merge with one that has historical ties to the former Cabrini Green public housing complex. WBEZ Education reporter Becky Vevea stops by with a recap of a meeting last night that saw a unanimous vote for the merger. We’ve also got the back story on Gary, Ind.’s push to ban sagging pants. Plus how Chicago’s Independent Police Review Authority is handling a case of potential criminal activity by a couple of Chicago police officers.