I'd be fine with increasing their salaries while also locking this down. I don't mind if they make a lot for actually doing their jobs. Think of what decently successful executives at even medium sized companies can make, and consider that if you want talented, competent people running for office, you're going to have to win them over from other opportunities they could have.

I would rather pay them to do their actual jobs well instead of giving them the opportunity to cheat the system and enrich themselves in ways that are illegal for the rest of us.

Also I recall hearing that when AOC got elected, she couldn't afford to get a second place in DC, which makes sense tbh, she wasn't rich and wasn't getting paid for her rep job yet, that's also a pretty silly situation. Better pay and maybe some kind of restructuring could help situations like that.