AC Compressor Bypass

So, according to the mechanic, I have a bad air conditioner compressor on my vehicle and he is wanting to replace it. I am trying to save a few bucks and simply bypass it, but I cannot seem to find a straight answer on if that is possible. According to my research, there are three drive belts instead of one long serpentine belt, and one of those belts goes to the air conditioner compressor. Could I bypass the air conditioner compressor by simply removing that belt, or does the system need all three belts spinning to work correctly? Also, is there any other way to bypass the air conditioner compressor if removing the belt is not the answer?